CVE-2020-6992 in Digital CIMPLICITY HMI-SCADA
Summary
by MITRE
A local privilege escalation vulnerability has been identified in the GE Digital CIMPLICITY HMI/SCADA product v10.0 and prior. If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an adversary to modify the system, leading to the arbitrary execution of code. This vulnerability is only exploitable if an attacker has access to an authenticated session. GE Digital CIMPLICITY v11.0, released January 2020, contains mitigation for this local privilege escalation vulnerability. GE Digital recommends all users upgrade to GE CIMPLICITY v11.0 or newer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/27/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-6992 represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within GE Digital CIMPLICITY HMI/SCADA software versions 10.0 and earlier. This industrial control system component serves as a human-machine interface platform that manages critical infrastructure operations, making it a prime target for sophisticated adversaries seeking persistent access to operational technology environments. The vulnerability specifically affects systems where unauthorized users might gain authenticated access to the CIMPLICITY environment, potentially through compromised credentials or other initial compromise vectors. The flaw resides in how the software handles privilege management during authenticated sessions, creating an exploitable condition that could enable attackers to elevate their privileges from standard user level to system-level access.
This privilege escalation vulnerability operates through a flaw in the software's access control mechanisms that fails to properly validate user permissions when processing certain system commands or operations. The technical implementation appears to lack adequate checks on privilege elevation requests, allowing authenticated users with minimal system access to manipulate internal processes and gain unauthorized administrative capabilities. The exploitation process likely involves leveraging specific API calls or system interfaces that should normally require elevated privileges but are improperly validated. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-269: "Improper Privilege Management" which encompasses issues where software fails to properly enforce access control mechanisms. The flaw essentially creates a path for privilege manipulation that bypasses normal security boundaries, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated system privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple code execution capabilities, particularly within industrial environments where CIMPLICITY systems control critical processes and safety mechanisms. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could potentially disrupt operations, modify critical control parameters, or gain access to sensitive operational data that could compromise entire industrial facilities. The implications are particularly severe given that many industrial control systems operate in isolated environments where traditional cybersecurity measures may be limited, making such privilege escalation vulnerabilities even more dangerous. The vulnerability affects not just individual system integrity but could potentially impact safety systems, production processes, and overall operational continuity. Organizations using these systems face significant risk of operational disruption, data compromise, or even physical safety hazards if such attacks are successfully executed.
The mitigation strategy recommended by GE Digital involves upgrading to CIMPLICITY v11.0 or newer versions which contain specific patches addressing the privilege escalation flaw. This upgrade represents a necessary security measure that implements proper access control validation and privilege management checks. Organizations should conduct thorough testing of the updated software in their environments before deployment to ensure compatibility with existing operational procedures and control logic. The remediation process also requires careful consideration of operational impacts, particularly in mission-critical environments where system downtime could be costly. Security teams should implement additional monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns and privilege escalation attempts, as the vulnerability requires authenticated access but could be exploited through credential compromise or other initial access vectors. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current software versions in industrial environments and aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion through software updates and patches. Organizations should also consider implementing additional access controls and monitoring measures to detect potential exploitation attempts, particularly in environments where physical security and logical access controls may be insufficient to prevent unauthorized access to authenticated sessions.