CVE-2022-33736 in Opcenter Quality
Summary
by MITRE • 07/12/2022
A vulnerability has been identified in Opcenter Quality V13.1 (All versions < V13.1.20220624), Opcenter Quality V13.2 (All versions < V13.2.20220624). The affected applications do not properly validate login information during authentication. This could lead to denial of service condition for existing users or allow unauthenticated remote attackers to successfully login without credentials.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2022
The vulnerability described in CVE-2022-33736 represents a critical authentication flaw affecting Siemens Opcenter Quality software versions prior to specific patch releases. This issue impacts both V13.1 and V13.2 branches of the application, creating a significant security risk that extends beyond simple credential validation failures. The affected systems operate within industrial environments where quality management and process control are paramount, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for operational technology infrastructure.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation during the authentication process, specifically failing to properly validate login information provided by users. This weakness creates a condition where the application's authentication mechanism can be bypassed either through malformed credentials or by exploiting the validation logic itself. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication scenarios, and potentially CWE-305 which covers authentication bypass through multiple attempts or flawed logic. The flaw allows for both authenticated and unauthenticated attack vectors, significantly expanding the potential impact surface.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are severe and multifaceted, affecting both availability and confidentiality of the affected systems. For existing users, the vulnerability may result in denial of service conditions where legitimate authentication attempts fail or are disrupted, effectively locking out authorized personnel from accessing critical quality management systems. More critically, unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to the system without providing valid credentials, potentially compromising the integrity of quality data and process controls. This could lead to unauthorized modifications of quality parameters, data manipulation, or complete system compromise within industrial environments where these applications are deployed.
Organizations utilizing affected Siemens Opcenter Quality software must implement immediate mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves applying the vendor-provided patches released after June 24, 2022, which contain the necessary fixes for the authentication validation logic. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure of these systems to untrusted networks, particularly implementing the principle of least privilege for system access. Additionally, monitoring and logging capabilities should be strengthened to detect anomalous authentication patterns or unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage, and T1110 which covers credential access, indicating that this flaw could enable attackers to establish persistent access to industrial control systems. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify other potential authentication weaknesses within their industrial control system environments, as this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of robust authentication mechanisms in operational technology infrastructure.