CVE-2024-23787 in Energy Management Controller with Cloud Services
Summary
by MITRE • 02/14/2024
Path traversal vulnerability in Energy Management Controller with Cloud Services JH-RVB1 /JH-RV11 Ver.B0.1.9.1 and earlier allows a network-adjacent unauthenticated attacker to obtain an arbitrary file in the affected product.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2024
The CVE-2024-23787 vulnerability represents a critical path traversal flaw in the Energy Management Controller with Cloud Services model JH-RVB1/JH-RV11 running firmware versions B0.1.9.1 and earlier. This vulnerability specifically affects industrial control systems that manage energy consumption and cloud connectivity, making it particularly dangerous in environments where operational technology infrastructure is exposed to network-adjacent threats. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers who can access the network segment where the device operates to retrieve arbitrary files from the device's file system without requiring any credentials or authentication mechanisms.
This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within the device's web interface or file handling mechanisms that process user-supplied paths. The affected system fails to properly sanitize or validate file paths submitted through network requests, enabling attackers to manipulate path parameters to traverse the file system hierarchy and access files outside the intended directory structure. The technical implementation likely involves improper handling of directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ that should be rejected or normalized before file access operations are performed. This weakness falls under the CWE-22 category for path traversal vulnerabilities, which are classified as a fundamental security flaw in application input validation. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and can be exploited through HTTP requests sent to the device's web interface, making it particularly accessible to attackers who have network access to the device's IP address range.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as attackers could potentially access sensitive configuration files, system logs, authentication credentials, or even firmware images that might contain hard-coded secrets or cryptographic keys. In industrial environments, this could lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to energy management controls, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate power consumption patterns, disable safety mechanisms, or disrupt critical infrastructure operations. The vulnerability affects devices that are typically deployed in building automation, industrial control systems, and energy management environments where physical security may be limited and network exposure is common. Organizations relying on these controllers for critical energy management functions face significant risk of operational disruption and potential safety hazards if attackers exploit this vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to system files or control mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-23787 should focus on immediate firmware updates from the vendor, which are expected to include proper input validation and sanitization of file path parameters. Network segmentation and access control measures should be implemented to limit network-adjacent access to these devices, while firewall rules should restrict access to the device's web interface ports to authorized administrative networks only. Regular security assessments should include vulnerability scanning for path traversal flaws in industrial control systems, with particular attention to devices that handle user input through web interfaces. The implementation of web application firewalls and input validation controls can provide additional protection layers against similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures for detecting and responding to potential exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability could be leveraged for more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation or lateral movement within network segments. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 (File and Directory Discovery) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers may use information obtained through this vulnerability to craft more targeted attacks against other systems in the network.