CVE-2018-18957 in libIEC61850
Summary
by MITRE
An issue has been found in libIEC61850 v1.3. It is a stack-based buffer overflow in prepareGooseBuffer in goose/goose_publisher.c.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-18957 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow within the libIEC61850 v1.3 library, specifically affecting the prepareGooseBuffer function located in the goose/goose_publisher.c file. This issue arises in the context of IEC 61850 communication protocols which are widely used in industrial automation and power systems for substation automation. The libIEC61850 library serves as a comprehensive implementation of the IEC 61850 standard, enabling communication between intelligent electronic devices in electrical power systems. The buffer overflow vulnerability occurs when processing GOOSE (Generic Object Oriented Universal Substation Event) messages, which are critical for real-time communication of protection and control information in power systems. GOOSE messages are transmitted at high frequencies and contain time-critical data that must be processed reliably by protective relays and other substation devices.
The technical flaw manifests when the prepareGooseBuffer function fails to properly validate or limit the size of input data before copying it into a fixed-size stack buffer. This allows an attacker to supply maliciously crafted input data that exceeds the allocated buffer space, causing adjacent memory locations to be overwritten. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the stack memory space, which can lead to arbitrary code execution, system crashes, or denial of service conditions. The flaw directly maps to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified as a critical weakness in software systems. The function's insufficient bounds checking and lack of input sanitization create an exploitable condition where an attacker can manipulate the program's execution flow by overwriting stack canaries, return addresses, or other critical program state information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system instability, as it could potentially compromise the integrity of critical power system operations. In industrial control systems where IEC 61850 is deployed, such as smart grids, substation automation systems, and protective relaying equipment, a successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized modification of protection settings, disruption of protective functions, or complete system failure. The vulnerability affects systems where libIEC61850 is used to implement GOOSE message publishing functionality, which is essential for time-critical protection schemes. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to inject malicious data into GOOSE messages, potentially causing protective relays to malfunction or operate incorrectly during fault conditions. The impact is particularly severe given that power system protection relies heavily on the timely and accurate transmission of GOOSE messages, making this vulnerability a significant concern for grid operators and industrial security professionals.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-18957 should include immediate patching of the libIEC61850 library to version 1.4 or later, which contains the necessary fixes for the buffer overflow condition. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and monitoring to detect anomalous GOOSE message patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, indicating that exploitation would likely involve code injection techniques targeting the vulnerable stack memory. Additionally, defensive measures should include input validation at multiple layers, including network-level filtering of GOOSE messages, implementation of intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for buffer overflow patterns, and regular security assessments of industrial control systems. System administrators should also consider implementing runtime protections such as stack canaries, address space layout randomization, and data execution prevention mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. Organizations using IEC 61850 implementations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all systems that may be exposed to this vulnerability and develop incident response procedures specifically addressing potential exploitation of buffer overflow conditions in industrial communication protocols.