Siemens has issued a security advisory regarding a vulnerability in several of its industrial products, identified as CVE-2024-38355. This vulnerability affects the Socket.IO framework, used in products such as SIMATIC PCS neo, WinCC Runtime, LiveTwin Industrial Edge apps, and others. The issue arises from improper input validation, which allows specially crafted packets to trigger an uncaught exception, leading to a denial-of-service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability, with a CVSS v4 score of 6.9, is exploitable remotely with low attack complexity, posing a significant risk to critical infrastructure sectors, especially in critical manufacturing environments.
Siemens has identified specific versions of products that are affected, including the AI Model Deployer, Data Flow Monitoring Industrial Edge Device User Interface, and various versions of SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional. The issue is caused by the way Socket.IO processes packets, which, if malformed, can cause a crash in the Node.js server. Siemens has released patches and new versions to address the vulnerability, urging users to update their systems to the latest versions to mitigate potential risks. For users unable to upgrade, Siemens recommends implementing workarounds such as attaching an error listener to catch exceptions.
CISA has recommended several defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation. These measures include minimizing network exposure by ensuring that affected systems are not accessible from the internet, using firewalls to isolate control system networks from business networks, and employing secure remote access methods like virtual private networks (VPNs). Organizations are also advised to conduct proper impact analysis and risk assessments before deploying these defensive measures. CISA’s guidelines focus on improving the cybersecurity posture of industrial control systems (ICS), emphasizing the need for proactive defenses to protect critical infrastructure.
Siemens continues to work on additional fixes for products where patches are not yet available. The company has also advised customers to follow best practices for industrial security and ensure their devices are configured in secure environments. While no known public exploitation of this vulnerability has been reported, Siemens and CISA encourage organizations to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. The vulnerability highlights the ongoing need for robust cybersecurity measures in industrial environments to protect against emerging threats.
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