Siemens RUGGEDCOM APE1808

As of January 10, 2023, CISA will no longer be updating ICS security advisories for Siemens product vulnerabilities beyond the initial advisory. For the most up-to-date information on vulnerabilities in this advisory, please see Siemens' ProductCERT Security Advisories (CERT Services | Services | Siemens Global). 

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• CVSS v3 7.5
• ATTENTION: Exploitable remotely/low attack complexity
• Vendor: Siemens
• Equipment: RUGGEDCOM APE1808
• Vulnerabilities: Insufficiently Protected Credentials, Improper Input Validation

2. RISK EVALUATION

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to escalate privilege, gain unauthorized access, or cause a denial-of-service condition.

3. TECHNICAL DETAILS

3.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS

The following Siemens products using Nozomi Guardian/CMC before 23.4.1, are affected:

• RUGGEDCOMAPE1808LNX (6GK6015-0AL200GH0): All versions
• RUGGEDCOM APE1808LNX CC (6GK60150AL20-0GH1): All versions

3.2 Vulnerability Overview

3.2.1 INSUFFICIENTLY PROTECTED CREDENTIALS CWE-522

Audit records for OpenAPI requests may include sensitive information. This could lead to unauthorized accesses and privilege escalation.

CVE-2023-6916 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 7.2 has been assigned; the CVSS vector string is (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

3.2.2 IMPROPER INPUT VALIDATION CWE-20

A Denial of Service (Dos) vulnerability in Nozomi Networks Guardian, caused by improper input validation in certain fields used in the Radius parsing functionality of our IDS, allows an unauthenticated attacker sending specially crafted malformed network packets to cause the IDS module to stop updating nodes, links, and assets. Network traffic may not be analyzed until the IDS module is restarted.

CVE-2024-0218 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 has been assigned; the CVSS vector string is (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

3.3 BACKGROUND

• CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Critical Manufacturing
• COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide
• COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: Germany

3.4 RESEARCHER

Siemens reported these vulnerabilities to CISA.

4. MITIGATIONS

Siemens has identified the following specific workarounds and mitigations users can apply to reduce risk:

• RUGGEDCOM APE1808LNX (6GK6015-0AL200GH0) and RUGGEDCOM APE1808LNX CC (6GK60150AL20-0GH1): Upgrade Nozomi Guardian/CMC to V23.4.1. Contact customer support to receive patch and update information.
• For CVE-2023-6916: Create specific users for OpenAPI usage, with minimal permissions. Limit API keys to allowed IP addresses. Regenerate existing API keys periodically and to review sign-ins via API keys in the audit records

As a general security measure, Siemens recommends protecting network access to devices with appropriate mechanisms. To operate the devices in a protected IT environment, Siemens recommends configuring the environment according to Siemens' operational guidelines for industrial security and following recommendations in the product manuals.

Additional information on industrial security by Siemens can be found on the Siemens industrial security webpage

For more information see the associated Siemens security advisory SSA-292022 in HTML and CSAF.

CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities, such as:

• Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet.
• Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks.
• When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Recognize VPNs may have vulnerabilities, should be updated to the most recent version available, and are only as secure as the connected devices.

CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.

CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.

CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets.

Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.

Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents.

CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks:

• Do not click web links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages.
• Refer to Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams for more information on avoiding email scams.
• Refer to Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks.

No known public exploitation specifically targeting these vulnerabilities has been reported to CISA at this time.

5. UPDATE HISTORY

• May 16, 2024: Initial Publication

• Siemens