CVE-2023-0595 in EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert 2019
Summary
by MITRE • 02/24/2023
A CWE-117: Improper Output Neutralization for Logs vulnerability exists that could cause the misinterpretation of log files when malicious packets are sent to the Geo SCADA server's database web port (default 443). Affected products: EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert 2019, EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert 2020, EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert 2021(All Versions prior to October 2022), ClearSCADA (All Versions)
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/11/2025
The CVE-2023-0595 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw classified under CWE-117, which specifically addresses improper output neutralization for logs. This weakness occurs when applications fail to properly sanitize user input before logging it to system logs or database entries. In the context of the EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert and ClearSCADA platforms, this vulnerability manifests when malicious packets are transmitted to the database web port operating on the default secure port 443. The flaw enables attackers to manipulate log file contents through crafted input that can cause misinterpretation of log data, potentially leading to severe operational and security consequences. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert platform, specifically those released prior to October 2022, along with all versions of ClearSCADA software. This widespread impact across multiple product lines highlights the critical nature of the vulnerability and its potential to affect industrial control systems that rely on proper logging mechanisms for security monitoring and incident response.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization within the logging components of these SCADA systems. When legitimate or malicious data is sent to the database web interface on port 443, the system fails to properly escape or neutralize special characters that could alter the structure or interpretation of log entries. This misconfiguration allows attackers to inject control characters or malicious payloads that can be interpreted by log analysis tools or security monitoring systems in unintended ways. The exploitation of this vulnerability can result in log injection attacks where attackers manipulate log contents to hide their activities, create false alarms, or even cause log parsing errors that could disrupt system operations. The impact is particularly severe in industrial environments where log analysis is critical for security monitoring, compliance reporting, and incident investigation processes. The vulnerability's presence in the database web port interface suggests that it affects both legitimate administrative access and potentially unauthorized access points, making it a significant concern for operational technology environments.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-0595 extends beyond simple log manipulation to potentially compromise the integrity of security monitoring systems and incident response capabilities. When log files become corrupted or manipulated through this vulnerability, security operations centers may receive misleading information that could prevent detection of actual security incidents or cause false positive alerts that waste valuable resources. The vulnerability undermines the fundamental trust that security personnel place in log data for forensic analysis, compliance verification, and real-time threat detection. In industrial control environments, this can lead to delayed responses to actual threats, as security tools may fail to identify malicious activities due to corrupted log entries. The potential for attackers to inject malicious content into log files also creates opportunities for privilege escalation or other advanced persistent threat activities that could go undetected for extended periods. Organizations relying on these SCADA systems for critical infrastructure operations face increased risk of security incidents that may not be properly documented or detected through conventional monitoring methods.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-0595 should focus on immediate patching of affected systems and implementation of additional security controls to prevent exploitation. Organizations should prioritize updating all affected versions of EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert to versions released after October 2022, along with all versions of ClearSCADA to their latest secure releases. Network segmentation and access controls should be implemented to restrict access to the database web port 443 to only authorized personnel and systems. Input validation and sanitization measures should be strengthened at the application level to ensure that all user-supplied data is properly escaped before being logged. Security monitoring systems should be configured to detect anomalous log patterns that could indicate log injection attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-117 aligns with ATT&CK technique T1070.002, which covers the use of log injection to evade detection, making it essential for organizations to implement comprehensive logging security controls. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other industrial control system components that may not be immediately apparent. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions specifically designed to detect and alert on suspicious traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts against SCADA systems.