CVE-2023-0635 in ASPECT Enterprise
Summary
by MITRE • 06/05/2023
Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in ABB Ltd. ASPECT®-Enterprise on ASPECT®-Enterprise, Linux (2CQG103201S3021, 2CQG103202S3021, 2CQG103203S3021, 2CQG103204S3021 modules), ABB Ltd. NEXUS Series on NEXUS Series, Linux (2CQG100102R2021, 2CQG100104R2021, 2CQG100105R2021, 2CQG100106R2021, 2CQG100110R2021, 2CQG100112R2021, 2CQG100103R2021, 2CQG100107R2021, 2CQG100108R2021, 2CQG100109R2021, 2CQG100111R2021, 2CQG100113R2021 modules), ABB Ltd. MATRIX Series on MATRIX Series, Linux (2CQG100102R1021, 2CQG100103R1021, 2CQG100104R1021, 2CQG100105R1021, 2CQG100106R1021 modules) allows Privilege Escalation.This issue affects ASPECT®-Enterprise: from 3.0;0 before 3.07.01; NEXUS Series: from 3.0;0 before 3.07.01; MATRIX Series: from 3.0;0 before 3.07.01.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2023
This vulnerability represents a critical improper privilege management flaw within ABB Ltd.'s industrial automation software ecosystem, specifically affecting the ASPECT®-Enterprise, NEXUS Series, and MATRIX Series platforms running on Linux operating systems. The vulnerability manifests as a privilege escalation weakness that allows attackers to gain elevated system privileges beyond their intended access levels, potentially compromising the entire industrial control system infrastructure. This issue stems from inadequate validation and enforcement of user permissions within the software's authentication and authorization mechanisms, creating a pathway for unauthorized access to critical system functions and data. The affected versions span multiple product lines including ASPECT®-Enterprise from version 3.00 through 3.06.00, NEXUS Series from version 3.00 through 3.06.00, and MATRIX Series from version 3.00 through 3.06.00, indicating a widespread vulnerability across ABB's industrial automation portfolio.
The technical implementation of this privilege escalation vulnerability likely involves improper access control checks during system operations, where the software fails to properly validate user credentials or roles before granting access to privileged functions. This could manifest through flawed input validation, inadequate session management, or insufficient privilege boundaries that allow standard users to execute administrative commands or access restricted system resources. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which specifically addresses improper privilege management in software systems, and represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege that is essential for industrial control system security. Attackers exploiting this weakness could potentially modify critical system parameters, access sensitive operational data, or disrupt industrial processes through unauthorized administrative access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of industrial control systems that are critical to manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure operations. Successful exploitation could enable attackers to manipulate industrial processes, access confidential operational data, or even cause physical damage to industrial equipment through unauthorized system modifications. The affected systems operate in environments where security is paramount, and this vulnerability creates a significant risk to operational technology infrastructure. Organizations using these ABB platforms face potential threats including process disruption, data compromise, and unauthorized access to critical industrial control functions that could impact production, safety, and regulatory compliance. The vulnerability's presence across multiple product lines suggests that organizations may need to assess their entire industrial automation ecosystem for similar security weaknesses.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by ABB to address the privilege management flaws in affected versions. Organizations should implement comprehensive access control reviews and privilege management policies to minimize the impact of any potential exploitation. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar privilege management weaknesses in other industrial control system components. The remediation process should include thorough testing of patched software to ensure that the privilege escalation vulnerability is fully resolved without introducing new operational issues. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing additional security controls such as multi-factor authentication, privileged access management solutions, and continuous monitoring to protect against exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date industrial control system software and implementing robust security practices across all operational technology environments, as outlined in various cybersecurity frameworks including NIST SP 800-82 and IEC 62443 standards. The issue also maps to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers "Exploitation for Privilege Escalation" and demonstrates how improper privilege management creates opportunities for attackers to gain elevated system access.