CVE-2023-28896 in Superb III
Summary
by MITRE • 12/01/2023
Access to critical Unified Diagnostics Services (UDS) of the Modular Infotainment Platform 3 (MIB3) infotainment is transmitted via Controller Area Network (CAN) bus in a form that can be easily decoded by attackers with physical access to the vehicle.
Vulnerability discovered on Škoda Superb III (3V3) - 2.0 TDI manufactured in 2022.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/21/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-28896 represents a significant security flaw in the Modular Infotainment Platform 3 (MIB3) systems found in certain Škoda vehicles, specifically the Superb III model from 2022. This issue stems from the transmission of critical Unified Diagnostics Services (UDS) data over the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus using unencrypted communication protocols. The CAN bus serves as the primary communication backbone for vehicle systems, enabling various electronic control units to exchange diagnostic and operational information. When diagnostic services are transmitted without proper encryption or authentication mechanisms, they become vulnerable to interception and manipulation by unauthorized parties. The MIB3 platform, which houses infotainment and connectivity functions, exposes sensitive UDS operations that should remain protected within the vehicle's secure domain.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the lack of cryptographic protection for UDS messages transmitted over the CAN bus. UDS protocols are designed for diagnostic purposes and typically include services such as read data by identifier, write data by identifier, and control DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code) settings. When these services are transmitted in plaintext format, attackers with physical access to the vehicle's CAN bus can capture and analyze the communication traffic. The CAN protocol itself does not inherently provide security features, making it essential for applications to implement their own encryption and authentication mechanisms. This particular implementation fails to provide such protections, leaving critical vehicle functions accessible to anyone with the appropriate hardware and knowledge to monitor the bus traffic.
From an operational standpoint, this vulnerability creates substantial risk for vehicle owners and manufacturers. Physical access to a vehicle enables attackers to install diagnostic tools or sniffing equipment that can capture CAN bus communications and decode the transmitted UDS messages. The exposed diagnostic services could potentially allow unauthorized modification of vehicle parameters, including access to security-related functions, modification of firmware, or even control over certain vehicle systems. The attack surface expands beyond simple information disclosure to include potential system compromise and unauthorized vehicle control. The fact that this vulnerability affects a 2022 model year vehicle indicates that manufacturers may not have adequately addressed security concerns in their diagnostic communication implementations, suggesting a broader pattern of insufficient security considerations in automotive cybersecurity practices.
The security implications align with several Common Weakness Enumerations (CWE) categories including CWE-310 (Cryptographic Issues) and CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation), as the absence of proper cryptographic protection for sensitive vehicle communications constitutes a fundamental security flaw. This vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1547.001 (Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder) and T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) when considering potential attack paths that could leverage compromised diagnostic access to establish persistence or execute malicious code within vehicle systems. Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing encryption for all diagnostic communications, establishing secure boot mechanisms, and deploying CAN bus monitoring systems to detect anomalous traffic patterns. Vehicle manufacturers should consider retrofitting existing systems with proper cryptographic protocols and implementing access controls that limit diagnostic functionality to authorized personnel only. Additionally, regular security assessments of vehicle communication protocols and continuous monitoring of CAN bus traffic can help identify and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of treating automotive networks as critical infrastructure requiring robust security protections throughout the vehicle lifecycle.