CVE-2022-0010 in QCS 800xA
Summary
by MITRE • 05/22/2023
Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File vulnerability in ABB QCS 800xA, ABB QCS AC450, ABB Platform Engineering Tools.
An attacker, who already has local access to the QCS nodes, could successfully obtain the password for a system user account. Using this information, the attacker could have the potential to exploit this vulnerability to gain control of system nodes.
This issue affects QCS 800xA: from 1.0;0 through 6.1SP2; QCS AC450: from 1.0;0 through 5.1SP2; Platform Engineering Tools: from 1.0:0 through 2.3.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-0010 represents a critical insertion of sensitive information into log file issue affecting ABB's industrial control systems, specifically the QCS 800xA platform, QCS AC450 systems, and Platform Engineering Tools. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-532 category of "Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File" which is classified as a serious security flaw that can lead to information disclosure and potential system compromise. The flaw exists in the logging mechanisms of these industrial control systems where sensitive authentication credentials are being inadvertently written to log files, creating a significant security risk for operational technology environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of authentication credentials within the logging subsystems of these ABB products. When system users authenticate to the QCS nodes, the system's logging mechanism captures and stores user credentials in plain text format within log files without proper sanitization or encryption. This occurs even though the attacker must first establish local access to the system nodes, making this vulnerability a post-compromise issue rather than an initial access vector. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the software, with specific ranges indicating that versions from 1.0.0 through 6.1SP2 for QCS 800xA, 1.0.0 through 5.1SP2 for QCS AC450, and 1.0.0 through 2.3.0 for Platform Engineering Tools are all impacted. This widespread impact across different product lines indicates a systemic design flaw in the logging architecture rather than an isolated incident.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial for industrial environments where these systems operate. Once an attacker gains local access to a QCS node, they can exploit this vulnerability to extract system user passwords from log files, potentially enabling them to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized control over critical system nodes. This represents a significant risk to industrial control systems where unauthorized access could lead to operational disruptions, safety hazards, or even physical damage to industrial processes. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts" and T1566.001 which covers "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment", as it represents a credential exposure that can be leveraged for further attacks within the industrial network environment. The fact that this vulnerability requires local access but can lead to system control makes it particularly dangerous in environments where physical security is not properly maintained.
Organizations utilizing these ABB systems should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary remediation approach involves ensuring that log files containing sensitive information are properly secured through access controls, encryption, and regular log sanitization processes. System administrators should implement mandatory log rotation policies that prevent credential exposure over time and establish monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access to log files. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network segmentation to limit local access points to these critical systems and establish privilege separation mechanisms that prevent a single compromised account from providing broad system access. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of following security guidelines such as those provided by NIST SP 800-82 for industrial control systems and the IEC 62443 series standards for secure industrial automation and control systems. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar credential exposure issues in other parts of the industrial control infrastructure, as this vulnerability demonstrates the need for comprehensive security reviews of logging and authentication mechanisms in operational technology environments.