CVE-2023-5777 in EasyBuilder Pro
Summary
by MITRE • 11/06/2023
Weintek EasyBuilder Pro contains a vulnerability that, even when the private key is immediately deleted after the crash report transmission is finished, the private key is exposed to the public, which could result in obtaining remote control of the crash report server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/30/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5777 resides within Weintek EasyBuilder Pro software, a popular industrial automation platform used for developing and managing SCADA systems. This flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the integrity of the software's crash reporting mechanism. The vulnerability manifests when the application handles private key management during crash report transmission processes, creating an exploitable condition that persists beyond the intended temporary exposure period.
The technical flaw involves improper handling of cryptographic materials within the crash reporting subsystem of EasyBuilder Pro. When a crash occurs and the system attempts to transmit diagnostic information to a remote server, the private key used for authentication and encryption is temporarily stored in memory or file system locations. Even though the application documentation or implementation suggests that the private key should be immediately deleted upon successful crash report transmission completion, the vulnerability allows the key to remain accessible to unauthorized parties. This represents a violation of secure key management principles and demonstrates poor implementation of cryptographic best practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a pathway for remote code execution and system compromise. An attacker who can intercept or access the exposed private key gains the ability to authenticate to the crash report server with elevated privileges, potentially enabling full control over the reporting infrastructure. This compromise could allow adversaries to manipulate crash reports, inject malicious data, or establish persistent access points within industrial control systems. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where industrial automation systems are connected to external networks, making them susceptible to exploitation from remote locations.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Sensitive Data Exposure) and CWE-259 (Use of Hard-coded Password) categories, indicating improper handling of sensitive authentication materials. The attack surface is further expanded when considering ATT&CK framework mappings to T1566 (Phishing) and T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: DNS) where attackers could leverage the exposed key to establish command and control communications. Organizations using Weintek EasyBuilder Pro systems face significant risk of industrial espionage and operational disruption, as the compromise of crash reporting infrastructure can serve as a stepping stone for more extensive attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of affected software versions, implementation of network segmentation to isolate industrial control systems from general network access, and enhanced monitoring of crash report server activities. Security teams should also consider disabling crash reporting functionality until proper cryptographic key management can be implemented. Additional protective measures include regular security assessments of industrial automation systems, implementation of intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for unusual crash report activities, and development of incident response procedures tailored to industrial control system compromises. Organizations should also evaluate their overall security posture and consider implementing zero-trust network architectures to minimize the impact of similar vulnerabilities in other industrial control system components.