SCADA alert: Fixes are in the works

Recent security breaches are being dealt with by suppliers having problems with SCADA vulnerabilities

By ISS Source October 3, 2011

Wheels are starting to churn at three suppliers suffering from SCADA vulnerabilities. Rockwell, AzeoTech and Measuresoft all are working on or provided fixes for their individual problems. There is an overflow vulnerability with proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit code affecting the Rockwell RSLogix 5000, Version 19. Services running on Port 4446 are vulnerable to a memory overflow, according to a researcher on the ICS-CERT report.

ICS-CERT reached out to the affected vendor to notify, confirm, and identify mitigations. Rockwell has released the following advisories:

The Rockwell RSLogix family is a group of ladder logic programming packages that operates on Microsoft Windows operating systems. RSLogix 5000 supports the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and GuardLogix family of programmable controllers.

Rockwell Automation is aware of this vulnerability and plans to release a software patch within 14 days. In order to prevent traversal of RNA messages in and out of the ICS system, Rockwell recommends configuring firewalls to block the following TCP ports:

  • 1330
  • 1331
  • 1332
  • 4241
  • 4242
  • 4446
  • 6543
  • 9111
  • 60093
  • 49281

Rockwell also recommends users evaluate firewall configurations to ensure other appropriate inbound and outbound traffic is blocked.

MITRE assigned number CVE-2011-3489 to this vulnerability.

Meanwhile, a one stack overflow vulnerability with PoC exploit code is affecting AzeoTech DAQFactory, a SCADA/HMI product. The vulnerability is exploitable via a service running on Port 20034/UDP, according to a researcher in an ICS-CERT report. ICS-CERT worked with AzeoTech, which produced an upgrade that resolves the vulnerability. ICS-CERT has not validated the upgrade.

This vulnerability only affects DAQFactory Version 5.85, AzeoTech said.

This stack overflow vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a denial of service or remotely execute code on the targeted system.

DAQFactory is a SCADA and HMI software used in multiple industries including water, power, and manufacturing. DAQFactory installations are primarily in the United States and Europe.

DAQFactory listens on Port 20034/UDP by default. An attacker can send specially crafted traffic to this port to cause a stack overflow, which may allow remote code execution.

MITRE assigned number CVE-2011-3492 to this vulnerability in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database.

AzeoTech eliminated the vulnerable feature in the next version (Version 5.86). The company did not document the feature, so AzeoTech does not believe any of their customers were using it. Therefore, its removal should not adversely affect any DAQFactory users.

AzeoTech provides the following instructions to upgrade to Version 5.86: Existing customers can download and install the DAQFactory trial from the website over their existing installation at no charge. The user’s license remains maintained. Because this is the standard update path for DAQFactory, most customers will be familiar with the process.

For Measuresoft, there were three vulnerabilities with PoC exploit code affecting its Measuresoft ScadaPro product. The vulnerabilities include a stack buffer overflow, an insecure method call, and a path traversal, which are all remotely exploitable through Port 11234/UDP.

Measuresoft created a fix that resolves these vulnerabilities. The fix resolves the vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities affected ScadaPro Version 4.0.0.0 and earlier.

The stack overflow vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a denial of service or to remotely execute code on the affected machine. The insecure method call and the path traversal vulnerabilities could allow information leakage.

ScadaPro is a SCADA system used in the power generation, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing sectors. ScadaPro’s product is in operation in multiple countries. Measuresoft Development Ltd.’s headquarters are in Louth, Ireland, with an office in Missouri City, TX.

Measuresoft provided a new version (4.0.1), which is available without cost to all licensed customers who are currently running Version 4.0.0. Measuresoft has resolved the reported issues by disabling Port 11234/UDP by default. Alternative network communication methods are already in place and they will use them instead, Measuresoft said.

Measuresoft said version 4.0.1 of ScadaPro Server is now available for download from the Measuresoft website.

– Edited by Chris Vavra, Plant Engineering, www.plantengineering.com