CVE-2018-10592 in STARDOM FCJ
Summary
by MITRE
Yokogawa STARDOM FCJ controllers R4.02 and prior, FCN-100 controllers R4.02 and prior, FCN-RTU controllers R4.02 and prior, and FCN-500 controllers R4.02 and prior utilize hard-coded credentials that could allow an attacker to gain unauthorized administrative access to the device, which could result in remote code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/11/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-10592 affects several Yokogawa STARDOM controller models including FCJ, FCN-100, FCN-RTU, and FCN-500 devices running firmware versions R4.02 and earlier. This represents a critical security flaw that directly impacts industrial control systems and operational technology environments where these controllers are deployed. The issue stems from the inclusion of hard-coded credentials within the device firmware, a practice that violates fundamental security principles and creates persistent backdoor access vectors. These controllers are commonly used in industrial automation and control systems where they manage critical processes and operations across various sectors including manufacturing, oil and gas, and power generation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the presence of default usernames and passwords that are embedded directly within the controller firmware rather than being dynamically generated or stored securely. This hard-coding approach means that the credentials remain constant across all devices of the affected models, making them easily discoverable by threat actors who can research the specific controller models or obtain the credentials through publicly available information. The vulnerability specifically allows for administrative access to the device, which provides attackers with full control over the controller's operational capabilities and configuration settings. This administrative access represents a significant escalation from normal user privileges and enables attackers to manipulate the controller's behavior, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it creates opportunities for attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected devices. This capability can result in complete system takeover, allowing malicious actors to modify control parameters, disrupt operations, or even cause physical damage to industrial processes. The remote code execution potential means that attackers can exploit this vulnerability from external networks without requiring physical access to the devices, making the threat landscape particularly concerning for industrial environments where network segmentation may not be robust. The implications are severe for critical infrastructure sectors where these controllers manage safety-critical systems, as unauthorized modifications could lead to production disruptions, safety hazards, or environmental incidents.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including firmware updates from Yokogawa to address this vulnerability, network segmentation to isolate affected controllers, and monitoring for suspicious access patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-798, which specifically addresses the use of hard-coded credentials, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access and privilege escalation, potentially enabling lateral movement within industrial networks. Security teams should also consider implementing network access controls, disabling unnecessary services, and conducting thorough inventory assessments to identify all affected devices. The incident highlights the importance of secure development practices in industrial control systems and underscores the need for regular security assessments of OT environments to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in future deployments.