CVE-2017-6024 in ControlLogix 5580
Summary
by MITRE
A Resource Exhaustion issue was discovered in Rockwell Automation ControlLogix 5580 controllers V28.011, V28.012, and V28.013; ControlLogix 5580 controllers V29.011; CompactLogix 5380 controllers V28.011; and CompactLogix 5380 controllers V29.011. This vulnerability may allow an attacker to cause a denial of service condition by sending a series of specific CIP-based commands to the controller.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/06/2017
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6024 represents a critical resource exhaustion flaw affecting Rockwell Automation's ControlLogix 5580 and CompactLogix 5380 industrial control systems. This issue manifests in specific firmware versions including V28.011, V28.012, V28.013, V29.011 for both controller families, creating a significant operational risk for industrial environments that rely on these devices for critical control processes. The vulnerability resides within the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) implementation, which serves as the foundation for communication between industrial devices and control systems, making it a fundamental component of industrial automation networks.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and resource management within the CIP command processing functionality of these controllers. When an attacker sends a series of specifically crafted CIP-based commands, the system fails to properly handle resource allocation and memory management, leading to progressive consumption of available system resources such as memory and processing power. This resource exhaustion ultimately results in a denial of service condition where the controller becomes unresponsive or crashes entirely, disrupting industrial processes and potentially leading to production downtime or safety hazards.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise industrial safety and operational continuity. In manufacturing environments, the failure of a ControlLogix or CompactLogix controller can halt entire production lines, leading to significant financial losses and potential safety risks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be exploited remotely over network connections, meaning that attackers do not require physical access to the industrial control systems to cause disruption. This remote exploit capability aligns with the attack pattern described in the ATT&CK framework under the 'Initial Access' and 'Execution' phases, where adversaries can leverage network-based attacks to compromise industrial control systems.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to CWE-400, which describes resource exhaustion conditions in software systems. The flaw demonstrates inadequate bounds checking and resource management practices that are common in embedded industrial systems where performance optimization may have taken precedence over robustness against malicious inputs. The vulnerability also reflects the broader challenge of securing industrial control systems where the primary focus is often on operational reliability rather than cybersecurity resilience, creating gaps that adversaries can exploit to cause denial of service conditions. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate these critical controllers, apply firmware updates provided by Rockwell Automation, and monitor network traffic for suspicious CIP command sequences to mitigate the risk of exploitation.
The remediation approach requires systematic firmware updates to address the resource management deficiencies in the affected controller versions. Network administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for unusual CIP command patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, operational procedures should include regular monitoring of controller performance metrics and implementation of automated alerting mechanisms to detect resource exhaustion conditions before they result in complete system failure. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining current security patches in industrial environments and the need for comprehensive security assessments of industrial control systems to identify and address similar resource exhaustion vulnerabilities that could impact operational continuity and safety.