CVE-2022-23448 in SIMATIC Energy Manager Basic
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2022
A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC Energy Manager Basic (All versions < V7.3 Update 1), SIMATIC Energy Manager PRO (All versions < V7.3 Update 1). Affected applications improperly assign permissions to critical directories and files used by the application processes. This could allow a local unprivileged attacker to achieve code execution with ADMINISTRATOR or even NT AUTHORITY/SYSTEM privileges.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2022
The vulnerability CVE-2022-23448 affects Siemens SIMATIC Energy Manager Basic and PRO software versions prior to V7.3 Update 1, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that stems from improper permission assignment to critical system directories and files. This vulnerability resides within the application's access control mechanisms and demonstrates a fundamental failure in the principle of least privilege implementation. The flaw allows local unprivileged attackers to escalate their privileges to administrative levels, potentially achieving SYSTEM-level access, which constitutes a severe security weakness in industrial control systems where operational technology security is paramount.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper assignment of file and directory permissions within the SIMATIC Energy Manager applications. When applications fail to properly restrict access to critical system resources, they create pathways for malicious actors to manipulate system components that should remain protected from unauthorized modification or execution. This misconfiguration typically involves granting unnecessary write permissions to system directories or executable files that should be restricted to authorized administrators only. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses incorrect permissions for critical resources, and represents a classic example of inadequate access control implementation in enterprise software solutions.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential system compromise and operational disruption within industrial environments. Local attackers who can exploit this vulnerability gain the ability to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially allowing them to modify system configurations, install malicious software, or access sensitive operational data. The implications are particularly severe in industrial control systems where such compromises could lead to production disruptions, safety hazards, or unauthorized access to critical infrastructure operations. This vulnerability directly impacts the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems, making it a significant concern for operational technology environments.
The exploitation of CVE-2022-23448 follows established attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically mapping to privilege escalation techniques and persistence mechanisms. Attackers typically leverage such vulnerabilities by first gaining initial access to a system, then exploiting the improper permissions to escalate privileges and establish more persistent access. The vulnerability's presence in industrial control systems like SIMATIC Energy Manager creates additional risks as these environments often have limited security monitoring and response capabilities compared to traditional enterprise environments. Organizations should consider implementing the ATT&CK technique T1068 for privilege escalation and T1543 for persistence mechanisms when planning their defensive strategies.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-23448 should prioritize immediate patch deployment to update affected SIMATIC Energy Manager installations to V7.3 Update 1 or later versions where the vulnerability has been addressed. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive permission reviews to ensure that critical directories and files maintain appropriate access controls, implementing the principle of least privilege for all system components. Network segmentation and access control measures should be strengthened to limit local access to affected systems. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts and maintain regular security assessments to identify similar permission misconfigurations in other industrial control system components. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining current software versions and conducting regular security audits in operational technology environments to prevent exploitation of known weaknesses.