CVE-2022-46352 in SCALANCE X204RNA
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2022
A vulnerability has been identified in SCALANCE X204RNA (HSR) (All versions < V3.2.7), SCALANCE X204RNA (PRP) (All versions < V3.2.7), SCALANCE X204RNA EEC (HSR) (All versions < V3.2.7), SCALANCE X204RNA EEC (PRP) (All versions < V3.2.7), SCALANCE X204RNA EEC (PRP/HSR) (All versions < V3.2.7). Specially crafted PROFINET DCP packets could cause a denial of service condition of affected products.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2025
This vulnerability affects Siemens SCALANCE X204RNA series industrial network switches operating in HSR and PRP modes, specifically versions prior to V3.2.7. The issue stems from insufficient input validation within the PROFINET DCP (Device Configuration Protocol) processing functionality of these network devices. PROFINET DCP is a critical component of industrial automation networks that enables device discovery, configuration, and management within PROFIBUS and PROFINET environments. The vulnerability manifests when these switches receive specially crafted PROFINET DCP packets that exploit a buffer overflow or memory corruption condition in the device configuration processing module.
The technical flaw represents a classic denial of service vulnerability that falls under CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, or CWE-122, stack-based buffer overflow, depending on the specific implementation details. These switches are designed to operate in harsh industrial environments where network reliability is paramount, making them susceptible to attacks that could disrupt critical manufacturing processes. The vulnerability allows an attacker to send maliciously constructed DCP packets to the affected switches, which then process these packets without proper bounds checking, leading to memory corruption that causes the device to crash or become unresponsive. The attack can be executed remotely over the network, requiring no physical access to the device, making it particularly dangerous in industrial control systems where network segmentation may be limited.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it can compromise the availability of critical industrial network infrastructure. In manufacturing environments, these switches often serve as core components of industrial networks that support real-time communication between controllers, sensors, and actuators. When affected switches experience denial of service conditions, production lines may halt, leading to significant financial losses and potential safety hazards in process control applications. The vulnerability affects multiple variants of the SCALANCE X204RNA series, indicating a systemic issue within the firmware implementation that impacts various network topologies including HSR (High Availability Seamless Redundancy) and PRP (Precision Time Protocol) configurations. This widespread impact across different network modes suggests that the underlying flaw exists in fundamental network processing code rather than in specific protocol implementations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate firmware updates to version V3.2.7 or later, which contain patches addressing the buffer overflow conditions in DCP packet processing. Network administrators should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these devices to untrusted networks, following the principle of least privilege as recommended in NIST SP 800-53. Additional defensive measures include network monitoring for unusual DCP packet activity and implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify and alert on malformed PROFINET DCP traffic patterns. Organizations should also consider implementing network access control lists to restrict which devices can communicate with these switches and establish incident response procedures to quickly address potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004, "Endpoint Denial of Service," and represents a significant risk to industrial control system availability as classified in the ICS-CERT advisory framework for critical infrastructure protection.