Rockwell Automation’s AADvance Trusted SIS Workstation is affected by multiple vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerabilities arise due to improper input validation and out-of-bounds write issues, particularly in how the software handles 7-Zip files. These flaws were found in versions 2.00.01 and earlier of the workstation, and exploitation requires user interaction, such as visiting a malicious web page or opening a compromised file. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute code in the context of the current process, which could lead to significant system disruptions or data breaches.
The vulnerabilities have been assigned CVEs, specifically CVE-2023-31102 and CVE-2023-40481, with a CVSS v3 score of 7.8, indicating a high risk. The issues stem from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data during file parsing, leading to memory corruption. The first issue involves improper input validation during the handling of 7Z files, while the second flaw occurs due to out-of-bounds writes when parsing SquashFS files. Both vulnerabilities share the requirement for user interaction, making them less likely to be exploited without user action but still posing a significant security risk.
To mitigate these vulnerabilities, Rockwell Automation has released a patched version of the AADvance Trusted SIS Workstation (version 2.00.02). Users are strongly advised to upgrade to this version to address the vulnerabilities. For those unable to upgrade, it is recommended to apply security best practices, such as avoiding archiving or restoring projects from untrusted sources. Additionally, Rockwell has provided security guidelines to help organizations minimize the risk of these vulnerabilities, including recommendations for securing industrial automation control systems against threats.
CISA has issued a series of defensive recommendations to reduce the likelihood of exploitation. These include minimizing network exposure for all control systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet, and using secure methods such as VPNs for remote access. While no public exploitation of these vulnerabilities has been reported, CISA encourages organizations to implement cybersecurity best practices, conduct impact assessments, and report any suspicious activity to help protect industrial control systems from potential attacks.
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