CVE-2023-4418 in LMS5xx
Summary
by MITRE • 08/24/2023
A remote unprivileged attacker can sent multiple packages to the LMS5xx to disrupt its availability through a TCP SYN-based denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker can flood the targeted LMS5xx with a high volume of TCP SYN requests, overwhelming its resources and causing it to become unresponsive or unavailable for legitimate users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2023
The CVE-2023-4418 vulnerability represents a critical denial-of-service weakness in the LMS5xx series of laser measurement systems manufactured by Sick AG. This device operates within industrial environments and is commonly deployed for precise distance measurement and positioning applications in manufacturing, logistics, and automation settings. The vulnerability specifically targets the device's TCP/IP stack implementation, creating a pathway for remote attackers to disrupt service availability without requiring privileged access or authentication credentials. The LMS5xx devices are typically connected to industrial networks and may be exposed to external network traffic, making them susceptible to various network-based attacks that can compromise their operational integrity and availability.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate handling of TCP SYN packets within the device's network processing capabilities. When an attacker sends a high volume of TCP SYN requests to the target device, the system's resource management mechanisms fail to properly throttle or filter these connections, leading to resource exhaustion. This behavior manifests as the device's TCP connection handling mechanisms becoming overwhelmed, causing legitimate connection attempts to be rejected or delayed significantly. The vulnerability is classified as a TCP SYN flood attack vector, where the attacker exploits the three-way handshake process by sending SYN packets without completing the connection establishment, thereby consuming connection slots and memory resources on the target device. The lack of effective rate limiting or connection tracking mechanisms within the device's TCP stack enables this exploitation to be effective even against unprivileged attackers who cannot directly access the device's administrative interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise critical industrial processes that depend on continuous operation of the laser measurement systems. In manufacturing environments, the LMS5xx devices may be integral to automated production lines, quality control systems, or robotic navigation processes where even brief periods of unavailability can result in production delays, quality issues, or safety concerns. The vulnerability affects devices that are often deployed in remote or networked configurations, making them particularly susceptible to attacks from adversaries who may not have physical access to the equipment. The disruption caused by this DoS attack can lead to cascading failures in automated systems, where the loss of measurement data or communication with the laser sensors impacts downstream processes that rely on real-time positioning information.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-4418 should focus on network-level protections and device configuration hardening measures. Network administrators should implement rate limiting and connection tracking at network boundaries to prevent SYN flood attacks from reaching the target devices. The use of firewalls with TCP SYN cookies or connection tracking features can help filter malicious traffic before it reaches the vulnerable systems. Device-specific mitigations include disabling unnecessary network services, implementing proper access controls, and ensuring that devices are not directly exposed to untrusted networks. Organizations should also consider network segmentation to isolate critical industrial equipment from general network traffic and implement intrusion detection systems to monitor for unusual traffic patterns that may indicate DoS attack attempts. From a security framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses unspecified denial-of-service conditions in network services, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1498, which covers network denial of service attacks. Regular firmware updates from the vendor should be implemented to address the underlying TCP stack implementation weaknesses that enable this exploitation vector.