CVE-2024-22041 in Cerberus PRO EN Engineering Tool
Summary
by MITRE • 03/12/2024
A vulnerability has been identified in Cerberus PRO EN Engineering Tool (All versions), Cerberus PRO EN Fire Panel FC72x (All versions < IP8 SR4), Cerberus PRO EN X200 Cloud Distribution (All versions < V4.3.5618), Cerberus PRO EN X300 Cloud Distribution (All versions < V4.3.5617), Sinteso FS20 EN Engineering Tool (All versions), Sinteso FS20 EN Fire Panel FC20 (All versions < MP8 SR4), Sinteso FS20 EN X200 Cloud Distribution (All versions < V4.3.5618), Sinteso FS20 EN X300 Cloud Distribution (All versions < V4.3.5617), Sinteso Mobile (All versions). The network communication library in affected systems improperly handles memory buffers when parsing X.509 certificates. This could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to crash the network service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2025
This vulnerability affects a range of fire safety and industrial control systems manufactured by Cerberus and Sinteso, specifically targeting their network communication libraries that process X.509 certificates. The flaw resides in how these systems handle memory buffers during certificate parsing operations, creating a potential denial of service condition that can be exploited remotely without authentication. The affected products span multiple device categories including engineering tools, fire panels, and cloud distribution systems across different product lines, indicating a widespread issue within these industrial security platforms. This vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the network infrastructure of safety-critical systems where uninterrupted operation is essential for life safety and property protection.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory buffer handling during X.509 certificate parsing operations, which falls under the CWE-121 CWE category for buffer overflow conditions. When the network communication library encounters malformed or specially crafted X.509 certificates, the insufficient bounds checking leads to memory corruption that ultimately results in service crashes. This type of vulnerability can be classified as a remote code execution risk, though the specific impact described is limited to service disruption rather than arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects systems where network connectivity is essential for monitoring and control operations, and the lack of authentication requirements makes exploitation trivial for remote attackers. The affected systems operate in environments where continuous availability is paramount, making service disruption a significant operational risk.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise safety-critical infrastructure operations. Industrial fire protection systems and building automation platforms that rely on these communication libraries could experience unexpected outages during critical periods when system reliability is most essential. The remote exploitation capability means that attackers could target these systems from external networks without requiring physical access or valid credentials, potentially leading to cascading failures in safety systems. Organizations using these platforms face significant risk of operational disruption, especially in facilities where fire safety systems must remain continuously available, and the vulnerability could be exploited to create false negatives in safety monitoring. The attack surface includes all network-connected devices within the affected product lines, making it particularly dangerous for large installations with multiple interconnected systems.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment for all affected versions, with particular attention to the specific firmware versions mentioned in the vulnerability description. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit exposure of these systems to untrusted networks, while monitoring for unusual certificate exchange patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under T1210 exploitation for Lateral Movement, though in this case the primary concern is service availability rather than privilege escalation. Organizations should also implement network intrusion detection systems capable of identifying malformed certificate traffic patterns and establish incident response procedures for handling potential service disruption events. Regular vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify other potential memory handling issues within industrial control system components, and system administrators should maintain updated inventories of all affected devices to ensure comprehensive remediation across all installation points.