CVE-2017-6031 in atvise scada
Summary
by MITRE
A Header Injection issue was discovered in Certec EDV GmbH atvise scada prior to Version 3.0. An "improper neutralization of HTTP headers for scripting syntax" issue has been identified, which may allow remote code execution.
Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-6031 represents a critical header injection flaw within the atvise scada software developed by Certec EDV GmbH. This issue affects versions prior to 3.0 and stems from inadequate sanitization of HTTP headers, specifically targeting the scripting syntax elements that are commonly used in web-based industrial control systems. The flaw exists within the application's handling of user-supplied input that flows into HTTP response headers, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject arbitrary headers that could be interpreted by web browsers or intermediate proxies.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-113, which describes improper neutralization of characters or elements of special significance in HTTP headers. The atvise scada platform processes user input through HTTP request parameters that are subsequently incorporated into HTTP response headers without proper validation or encoding. This improper handling allows attackers to inject malicious headers such as Set-Cookie, Location, or other response headers that can trigger unintended behavior in the client-side processing. The vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous when combined with other attack vectors, as it enables attackers to manipulate the HTTP communication channel and potentially redirect users to malicious sites or inject session cookies.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple header manipulation, as it creates a potential remote code execution vector within industrial control environments. Attackers could exploit this flaw to inject malicious headers that redirect users to phishing sites, inject malicious JavaScript code through improperly sanitized Set-Cookie headers, or manipulate session management controls. The implications are severe in industrial settings where atvise scada systems manage critical infrastructure, as successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to control systems, data manipulation, or disruption of industrial processes. This vulnerability particularly concerns the ATT&CK framework's T1190 technique for exploiting web applications, where attackers leverage header injection to establish persistent access or escalate privileges within the industrial control environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-6031 require immediate implementation of input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the atvise scada platform. Organizations should ensure that all user-supplied input is properly sanitized before being incorporated into HTTP headers, implementing strict character validation and encoding for special characters such as newlines, carriage returns, and other header delimiters. The recommended approach includes implementing a whitelist-based validation mechanism that only allows known-safe characters in HTTP header fields while rejecting any input containing potentially malicious sequences. System administrators should also consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious header injection attempts, as well as implementing proper network segmentation to limit the attack surface. Regular security updates and patches should be applied immediately upon availability, with the vendor's official 3.0 release providing the necessary fixes for this vulnerability. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their industrial control systems to identify similar vulnerabilities in other components that may be susceptible to the same class of header injection attacks.