CVE-2024-9124 in PowerFlex 6000T
Summary
by MITRE • 10/08/2024
A denial-of-service vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation PowerFlex® 600T. If the device is overloaded with requests, it will become unavailable. The device may require a power cycle to recover it if it does not re-establish a connection after it stops receiving requests.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9124 represents a critical denial-of-service condition affecting Rockwell Automation PowerFlex® 600T variable frequency drives. This industrial control device operates within critical infrastructure environments where reliability and continuous operation are paramount. The PowerFlex 600T series is commonly deployed in manufacturing and industrial automation settings where motor control systems require stable and predictable performance. When subjected to excessive request loads, the device demonstrates a failure mode that fundamentally compromises its operational availability and system integrity. The vulnerability manifests when the device receives an overwhelming number of requests that exceed its processing capabilities, leading to complete unresponsiveness of the system.
This denial-of-service condition stems from insufficient input validation and resource management within the device's communication protocols. The PowerFlex 600T device lacks adequate mechanisms to handle request flooding or excessive concurrent connections, resulting in a complete system freeze that prevents normal operational functions. The technical flaw operates at the protocol level where incoming requests are not properly rate-limited or prioritized, allowing malicious or accidental overload conditions to overwhelm the device's processing capabilities. The device's architecture does not implement robust backpressure mechanisms or connection throttling that would prevent resource exhaustion under abnormal load conditions. This behavior aligns with CWE-400 vulnerability classification related to unchecked resource consumption, where systems fail to properly manage resource allocation under stress conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially compromise entire industrial processes that depend on continuous motor control operations. When the PowerFlex 600T becomes unresponsive, production lines may halt unexpectedly, leading to significant financial losses and operational disruptions. The requirement for manual power cycling to restore functionality introduces additional risks including potential equipment damage from improper shutdown sequences and extended downtime periods. Industrial environments often operate with minimal redundancy, making such vulnerabilities particularly dangerous as they can cascade into larger system failures. The recovery process becomes critical in mission-critical applications where even brief outages can result in substantial production losses or safety hazards.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-9124 should focus on network-level protections and device configuration hardening. Implementing network segmentation and access control lists can limit the sources of requests that reach the affected devices, reducing exposure to malicious overload conditions. Network administrators should deploy rate-limiting mechanisms at the perimeter to prevent excessive traffic from reaching industrial control systems. Device-specific mitigations include configuring the PowerFlex 600T to implement connection timeouts and resource limits that prevent indefinite request processing. The implementation of intrusion detection systems specifically designed for industrial environments can help identify unusual traffic patterns that may indicate attempted exploitation. Organizations should also establish robust monitoring procedures to detect early signs of system degradation before complete failure occurs. These measures align with attack techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1499 category related to network denial-of-service attacks, where adversaries target industrial control systems to disrupt operations through resource exhaustion.