CVE-2023-46687 in Rosemount GC370XA
Summary
by MITRE • 02/09/2024
In Emerson Rosemount GC370XA, GC700XA, and GC1500XA products, an unauthenticated user with network access could execute arbitrary commands in root context from a remote computer.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-46687 affects Emerson Rosemount gas chromatograph models GC370XA, GC700XA, and GC1500XA, representing a critical remote code execution flaw that allows unauthenticated attackers to gain root-level system access. This vulnerability resides within industrial control systems that are typically deployed in critical infrastructure environments including oil and gas processing facilities, chemical plants, and other industrial automation settings where these gas chromatographs are used for process monitoring and analysis. The affected devices operate in environments where security is paramount and unauthorized access could lead to significant operational disruptions, safety hazards, or even environmental impacts. The flaw fundamentally compromises the integrity of the device's security model by allowing any remote user with network connectivity to execute arbitrary commands with the highest possible privileges, effectively bypassing all authentication mechanisms.
This vulnerability represents a severe technical flaw in the device's network service implementation, specifically within the web interface or remote management protocols that these gas chromatographs utilize for configuration and monitoring. The root cause likely stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the device's web server component, allowing attackers to inject malicious commands through network requests without requiring any authentication credentials. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and CWE-287, which covers improper authentication. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that these devices often operate in environments where network segmentation may be limited, and physical access controls are less stringent than in traditional IT environments. The flaw exists in the device's handling of HTTP requests, where command injection occurs due to inadequate sanitization of user-supplied parameters that are directly passed to system commands without proper validation or escaping.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple system compromise, as these gas chromatographs are integral to industrial processes where accurate measurement and monitoring are critical for safety and operational efficiency. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could manipulate gas composition measurements, potentially leading to incorrect process control decisions that might result in equipment damage, safety incidents, or production losses. The remote nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require physical access to the devices, making the attack surface significantly larger and more difficult to protect against. This vulnerability particularly affects the ATT&CK technique T1210, which involves exploiting weaknesses in remote services, and T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreters. The compromised devices could be used as entry points for lateral movement within industrial networks, potentially allowing attackers to access other connected systems and escalate their privileges further throughout the operational technology infrastructure.
Organizations utilizing these Emerson Rosemount gas chromatographs must implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability, including network segmentation to isolate these devices from general network access, deployment of network access control lists to restrict communication to only authorized systems, and application of firmware updates provided by Emerson as soon as they become available. The mitigation strategy should also include monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly around web server access logs and unusual command execution patterns. Security teams should consider implementing network-based intrusion detection systems specifically configured to identify command injection attempts targeting industrial control systems. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive risk assessments to identify all similar devices within their industrial control systems that may be vulnerable to similar flaws, as these types of vulnerabilities are often present in legacy industrial equipment that was not designed with modern cybersecurity considerations in mind. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in industrial environments and demonstrates the need for robust security monitoring and incident response capabilities in operational technology environments where the stakes of compromise are extremely high.