CVE-2022-45790 in Smart Security Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 01/22/2024
The Omron FINS protocol has an authenticated feature to prevent access to memory regions. Authentication is susceptible to bruteforce attack, which may allow an adversary to gain access to protected memory. This access can allow overwrite of values including programmed logic.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2026
The Omron FINS protocol represents a critical communication standard used extensively in industrial control systems and automation environments, particularly within manufacturing and process control applications where reliability and security are paramount. This protocol operates as a TCP/IP-based interface that facilitates communication between programmable logic controllers and various devices including HMI systems, databases, and other networked components. The authenticated feature of the FINS protocol was specifically designed to protect sensitive memory regions containing critical program logic, configuration data, and operational parameters from unauthorized access and manipulation. However, this security mechanism suffers from a fundamental flaw that undermines its effectiveness through brute force attack vectors.
The technical vulnerability stems from insufficient authentication mechanisms that fail to implement proper rate limiting, account lockout policies, or cryptographic strengthening measures. When adversaries attempt to gain unauthorized access to protected memory regions, they can systematically iterate through potential authentication credentials using automated tools and scripts. This brute force approach exploits the protocol's lack of defensive measures against repeated authentication attempts, allowing attackers to eventually discover valid credentials through exhaustive searching. The vulnerability specifically targets the authentication handshake process that occurs before memory access is granted, creating a window where malicious actors can exploit weak credential validation mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, potentially enabling complete system compromise and operational disruption within industrial environments. Successful exploitation allows adversaries to overwrite critical program logic stored in memory regions, which can result in fundamental changes to control system behavior including altered process parameters, disabled safety interlocks, or complete system malfunction. This capability represents a severe threat to operational technology infrastructure as it can lead to production downtime, quality control issues, environmental hazards, or even physical damage to equipment and facilities. The implications are particularly concerning given that many industrial systems operate with limited redundancy and require continuous operation without interruption.
Mitigation strategies must address both the immediate authentication weaknesses and broader security posture of industrial control systems. Organizations should implement robust account lockout mechanisms, enforce strong password policies with complexity requirements, and deploy rate limiting controls to prevent automated brute force attempts against FINS protocol endpoints. Network segmentation and firewall rules should restrict access to FINS protocol ports to authorized personnel only, while implementing additional authentication layers such as two-factor authentication or certificate-based authentication for critical systems. Regular security assessments and monitoring of authentication attempts should be conducted to detect potential brute force activity, with the implementation of intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify suspicious patterns related to repeated authentication failures.
This vulnerability aligns with several Common Weakness Enumeration categories including CWE-307, which addresses inadequate account lockout mechanisms, and CWE-312, which covers exposure of sensitive information through improper authentication. From an adversary perspective, this weakness maps directly to ATT&CK technique T1110 which encompasses credential access methods including brute force attacks against network services. The attack surface is particularly dangerous in operational technology environments where system availability and integrity are more critical than traditional information security concerns, making this vulnerability a prime target for sophisticated adversaries seeking to disrupt industrial operations or gain persistent access to critical infrastructure.