CVE-2023-40152 in Tellus Lite V-Simulator
Summary
by MITRE • 11/22/2023
When Fuji Electric Tellus Lite V-Simulator parses a specially-crafted input file an out of bounds write may occur.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/15/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-40152 resides within the Fuji Electric Tellus Lite V-Simulator software, which is designed for industrial automation and control system simulation environments. This particular flaw manifests when the application processes maliciously crafted input files that contain improperly structured data or malformed parameters. The vulnerability represents a critical security weakness that can potentially compromise the integrity and availability of industrial control systems that rely on this simulation software for testing and development purposes.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the parser component of the V-Simulator application. When processing specially crafted input files, the software fails to properly bounds-check array accesses or buffer operations, leading to an out-of-bounds write condition. This memory corruption vulnerability allows an attacker to write data beyond the allocated memory boundaries of the application's internal buffers. Such behavior typically occurs when the parser assumes certain data structures or array sizes without proper validation, enabling malicious input to trigger memory corruption that can result in arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends significantly within industrial control environments where the Tellus Lite V-Simulator is deployed. An attacker who successfully exploits this out-of-bounds write condition could potentially execute arbitrary code on the system running the simulator, leading to complete system compromise. This risk is particularly concerning in industrial settings where control systems require high availability and security guarantees. The vulnerability could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to critical infrastructure simulation environments, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate test scenarios or establish persistent access points that could later be leveraged against production systems. The attack surface is further expanded when considering that industrial simulation environments often contain sensitive operational data and system configurations that could be valuable to adversaries.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of improper input validation leading to memory corruption. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for command and scripting interpreter, as exploitation could enable attackers to execute malicious commands through the compromised simulator. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation hardening, memory protection mechanisms, and regular security updates to address this vulnerability. The recommended approach involves applying vendor-provided patches, implementing network segmentation to limit access to the simulator, and conducting thorough security assessments of industrial control system environments to identify potential exploitation vectors. Additionally, monitoring for anomalous behavior in simulation environments and implementing strict access controls can help reduce the risk of successful exploitation of this memory corruption vulnerability.