CVE-2024-23767 in Anybus X-Gateway AB7832-F
Summary
by MITRE • 06/27/2024
An issue was discovered on HMS Anybus X-Gateway AB7832-F firmware version 3. The HICP protocol allows unauthenticated changes to a device's network configurations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/12/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-23767 affects the HMS Anybus X-Gateway AB7832-F device running firmware version 3, representing a critical security flaw in industrial network communication infrastructure. This issue stems from the HICP protocol implementation which governs how devices communicate within industrial environments, particularly in manufacturing and automation contexts where network integrity is paramount. The vulnerability manifests as a lack of proper authentication mechanisms within the protocol stack, allowing any attacker with network access to manipulate critical device settings without proper authorization.
The technical flaw resides in the HICP protocol's failure to implement robust authentication checks for configuration modification requests. This weakness creates an unauthenticated access vector where malicious actors can alter network parameters such as IP addresses, subnet masks, gateway settings, and other critical network configuration elements. The vulnerability operates at the network protocol level, bypassing traditional application-level security controls and potentially affecting the entire industrial control system infrastructure that relies on stable network connectivity. According to CWE classification, this represents a weakness in the authentication mechanism where insufficient authentication checks allow unauthorized modifications to system configuration parameters, specifically categorized under CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple network configuration changes and can severely compromise industrial control system security. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially disrupt critical manufacturing processes by altering network routing, creating man-in-the-middle scenarios, or isolating devices from their control systems. The attack surface is particularly concerning in environments where the Anybus X-Gateway serves as a communication bridge between operational technology networks and enterprise IT systems, as this could enable lateral movement attacks and provide attackers with persistent access to critical infrastructure. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage and T1566 for credential harvesting, as it enables attackers to manipulate network configurations that may contain sensitive authentication credentials or serve as entry points for further attacks.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate network segmentation and access control implementation to limit exposure of the vulnerable device to unauthorized network traffic. Network administrators should implement strict firewall rules that restrict access to the HICP protocol ports and services to only trusted network segments. The device firmware should be updated immediately upon availability of patches from HMS, as this represents a critical security vulnerability requiring immediate remediation. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive network audits to identify all instances of the affected gateway model and ensure proper network monitoring is in place to detect unauthorized configuration changes. The implementation of network access control lists and mandatory access controls can help prevent unauthorized modification attempts while maintaining operational functionality of the industrial control systems.