CVE-2026-16316 in StationGuard
Summary
by MITRE • 08/06/2026
OMICRON StationGuard 4.00 contains an improper input validation vulnerability in its IEC 61850 Sampled Values (SV) frame processing. A specially crafted SV frame can cause the affected process to terminate, disrupting alert processing for Sampled Values traffic. The vulnerability does not affect overall system availability or the processing of other traffic types, and the process is automatically restarted, and the failure is immediately reported to the user.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2026
The OMICRON StationGuard 4.00 system presents a critical improper input validation vulnerability within its IEC 61850 Sampled Values frame processing functionality. This weakness resides in the protocol handling mechanism that processes sampled values traffic, which operates under the industrial control systems security framework where reliable communication is paramount for operational continuity. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of incoming SV frames that contain structured data following the IEC 61850 standard specification, specifically targeting the Sampled Values communication service element. When malformed or maliciously crafted SV frames are received, they trigger an unhandled exception within the processing pipeline that leads to abrupt process termination.
The technical flaw manifests through a lack of proper input sanitization and validation checks before parsing SV frame data structures. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, Improper Input Validation, where the system fails to adequately verify the integrity and format of received data before processing. The attack surface is particularly concerning within industrial environments where IEC 61850 Sampled Values are used for real-time monitoring and protection functions, as these frames carry critical measurement data essential for system protection and control operations. The vulnerability does not compromise the overall system availability since the affected process implements automatic restart mechanisms, but it creates operational disruption through temporary service degradation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple process termination, affecting the reliability of alert processing for Sampled Values traffic which represents a fundamental component of protective relaying systems. When the process crashes and restarts, there exists a window during which critical measurement data may be lost or delayed, potentially compromising real-time protection functions and system monitoring capabilities. The immediate reporting mechanism to users ensures that operators are notified of failures, but this does not mitigate the potential for cascading effects in complex industrial control environments where multiple systems depend on consistent sampled values communication. This vulnerability particularly affects the ATT&CK technique T1498, "Network Denial of Service," as it can be exploited to create temporary service disruptions within the IEC 61850 communication framework.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation mechanisms that verify the structure, length, and content of all incoming SV frames before processing. Organizations should deploy network segmentation and monitoring solutions to detect anomalous SV frame patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The system should also implement robust error handling with graceful degradation capabilities rather than abrupt termination, ensuring that partial failures do not completely disrupt critical protection functions. Regular firmware updates and security patches from OMICRON should be prioritized as part of the industrial cybersecurity maintenance program, while network administrators should establish baseline traffic monitoring to quickly identify unauthorized or malformed SV frames that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing redundant communication paths for critical sampled values data can provide resilience against single-point failures caused by this vulnerability.