CVE-2022-2502 in RTU500
Summary
by MITRE • 07/26/2023
A vulnerability exists in the HCI IEC 60870-5-104 function included in certain versions of the RTU500 series product. The vulnerability can only be exploited, if the HCI 60870-5-104 is configured with support for IEC 62351-5 and the CMU contains the license feature ‘Advanced security’ which must be ordered separately. If these preconditions are fulfilled, an attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending a specially crafted message to the RTU500, causing the targeted RTU500 CMU to reboot. The vulnerability is caused by a missing input data validation which eventually if exploited causes an internal buffer to overflow in the HCI IEC 60870-5-104 function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-2502 affects the RTU500 series products within their HCI IEC 60870-5-104 function implementation. This represents a critical security weakness that demonstrates the importance of proper input validation in industrial control systems where reliability and continuous operation are paramount. The affected systems operate within the energy and industrial automation sectors, where disruptions can have severe operational consequences. The vulnerability specifically targets the communication module unit that handles IEC 60870-5-104 protocol implementation, which is a standardized protocol for telecontrol equipment and terminal equipment in power systems.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing input data validation mechanism within the HCI IEC 60870-5-104 function, creating a condition where specially crafted malicious messages can cause an internal buffer overflow. This buffer overflow vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and CWE-122, which covers heap-based buffer overflow scenarios. The vulnerability requires specific preconditions for exploitation, including the configuration of the HCI 60870-5-104 function with support for IEC 62351-5 standards and the presence of the 'Advanced security' license feature on the CMU. This licensing requirement suggests that the vulnerability was introduced as part of enhanced security features that were not properly validated for input handling.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system disruption as it can cause the targeted RTU500 CMU to reboot, potentially leading to service interruptions in critical infrastructure environments. The attack vector requires an attacker to send specifically crafted messages to the RTU500 system, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1595.001 for network infiltration through protocol analysis and T1498 for denial of service attacks. The reboot condition represents a denial of service vulnerability that could be exploited to disrupt power grid operations, industrial process controls, or other critical infrastructure systems where these RTU500 devices are deployed. The vulnerability's exploitation requires network access to the affected device and knowledge of the specific protocol implementation, making it moderately accessible but potentially devastating in its impact.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation controls and ensuring that the 'Advanced security' license feature is properly managed and validated. Organizations should conduct immediate assessment of their RTU500 deployments to identify systems that meet the vulnerability preconditions, and implement network segmentation to limit access to these critical systems. The recommended approach includes applying vendor-provided patches or firmware updates when available, disabling unnecessary protocol support where possible, and implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous communication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, access controls should be strengthened to ensure that only authorized personnel can configure the HCI IEC 60870-5-104 function with the advanced security features, following the principle of least privilege as recommended in NIST SP 800-53 security controls. The vulnerability highlights the critical need for security-by-design principles in industrial control systems where software flaws can have cascading effects on operational reliability and safety.