CVE-2024-45474 in Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2024
A vulnerability has been identified in Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 (All versions < V2302.0016), Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2404 (All versions < V2404.0005). The affected application is vulnerable to memory corruption while parsing specially crafted WRL files. An attacker could leverage this in conjunction with other vulnerabilities to execute code in the context of the current process.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2024
This vulnerability exists within Tecnomatix Plant Simulation software versions prior to specific patch releases, representing a critical memory corruption flaw that manifests during the parsing of WRL file formats. The issue stems from inadequate input validation and memory management within the application's file processing pipeline, where malformed WRL files can trigger buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions that compromise the software's stability and security posture. The vulnerability affects both V2302 and V2404 product lines, indicating a widespread impact across multiple release versions that share similar parsing mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the application attempts to parse maliciously crafted WRL files, which contain malformed data structures that cause memory corruption during processing. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, heap-based buffer overflow, and CWE-122, stack-based buffer overflow, as the application fails to properly validate input boundaries before writing data to memory locations. The memory corruption can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution within the context of the currently running process, providing attackers with elevated privileges and control over the affected system.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple software instability, as it creates a potential attack vector for privilege escalation and persistent system compromise. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could execute malicious code with the same privileges as the Plant Simulation application, potentially leading to unauthorized access to production data, disruption of manufacturing processes, or further lateral movement within industrial control systems. The vulnerability's exploitation requires user interaction through file delivery, making it particularly concerning in environments where users might encounter malicious WRL files through email attachments, file sharing, or compromised software distributions.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch application to versions V2302.0016 and V2404.0005 respectively, which contain the necessary code fixes to properly validate WRL file inputs and prevent memory corruption conditions. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure, deploy file integrity monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized WRL file modifications, and establish secure file handling procedures for industrial environments. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted WRL files and monitor for suspicious file processing activities that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's characteristics align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007, Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic, when considering the potential for malicious code execution within the application context, and T1203, Exploitation for Client Execution, as it represents a client-side exploitation vector targeting industrial automation software.