CVE-2022-45920 in uaToolkit Embedded
Summary
by MITRE • 01/26/2023
In Softing uaToolkit Embedded before 1.41, a malformed CreateMonitoredItems request may cause a memory leak.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/01/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-45920 affects Softing uaToolkit Embedded versions prior to 1.41 and represents a memory management issue that can be exploited through malformed OPC UA CreateMonitoredItems requests. This flaw resides within the OPC UA communication stack implementation and specifically targets the monitored items functionality that is fundamental to OPC UA's subscription mechanism for data monitoring. The affected software component processes client requests to establish monitored items that track data changes or events within OPC UA servers, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for industrial control systems and IoT deployments that rely on OPC UA for device communication and data acquisition.
The technical implementation flaw manifests when the uaToolkit Embedded software receives a malformed CreateMonitoredItems request that contains invalid or unexpected parameters within the monitored item configuration. This malformed request triggers an improper memory allocation and deallocation sequence within the software's memory management subsystem, resulting in memory leaks that accumulate over time. The vulnerability does not directly cause a crash or system compromise but rather leads to gradual memory consumption that can eventually degrade system performance or cause resource exhaustion. The memory leak occurs during the request processing phase when the software fails to properly clean up allocated memory resources after detecting invalid request parameters, leading to fragmented memory and reduced available heap space for legitimate operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to industrial environments where Softing uaToolkit Embedded is deployed for critical infrastructure monitoring and control systems. The memory leak can accumulate silently over extended periods, potentially leading to system instability, reduced responsiveness, or complete system failure during sustained operations. In industrial settings where continuous monitoring is essential, such as manufacturing processes, power generation, or water treatment facilities, this vulnerability could result in service degradation that impacts operational efficiency and safety. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it can be triggered through network-based attacks where an attacker sends malformed requests to the OPC UA server, potentially causing the system to consume increasing amounts of memory until system resources are exhausted and normal operations are disrupted.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-401, which describes improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation, and can be categorized under the ATT&CK technique T1499.3, which involves resource exhaustion attacks. The memory leak issue represents a form of denial of service that can be exploited by attackers who send crafted malformed requests to consume system resources over time. Organizations using Softing uaToolkit Embedded should implement immediate mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patch to version 1.41 or later, implementing network segmentation to limit access to OPC UA endpoints, and monitoring system memory usage for unusual consumption patterns. Additionally, network-based intrusion detection systems should be configured to monitor for malformed OPC UA requests, and regular system health checks should be implemented to detect early signs of memory exhaustion. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper input validation and robust error handling in industrial communication protocols, particularly in environments where continuous system availability is critical for operational safety and business continuity.