ICS Advisory

Siemens COMOS Database Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Last Revised
Alert Code
ICSA-12-227-01

Overview

Siemens has reported a privilege escalation vulnerability in the Siemens COMOS database application. Siemens has produced an update that fixes this vulnerability. This vulnerability could be exploited remotely.

Affected Products

Siemens reports that the vulnerability affects the following versions of COMOS:

  • all versions earlier than Version 9.1,
  • Version 9.1: Patch 412 and earlier,
  • Version 9.2: Update 3 Patch 022 and earlier, and
  • Version 10: Patch 004 and earlier.

Impact

Authenticated users with read privileges could escalate their privileges by exploiting this vulnerability. Thus, the attacker is able to gain administrator access to the database.

Impact to individual organizations depends on many factors that are unique to each organization. ICS-CERT recommends that organizations evaluate the impact of this vulnerability based on their operational environment, architecture, and product implementation.

Background

Siemens COMOS is an object oriented database system that supports collecting, processing, saving, and distributing of information through a design process. It allows the configuration of different user privileges to different users.

Vulnerability Characterization

Vulnerability Overview

Privilege EscalationCWE-250: Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/122.html, Web site last accessed August 14, 2012.

Authenticated users with read privileges could escalate their privileges by exploiting a documented method in the design of the database. As a result, the attacker gains administrator access to the database.

CVE-2012-3009 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v2 base score of 8.5 has been assigned; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C).

Vulnerability Details

Exploitability

This vulnerability could be exploited remotely.

Existence of Exploit

No known public exploits specifically target this vulnerability.

Difficulty

An attacker with a medium skill level could exploit these vulnerabilities.

Mitigation

For COMOS Versions 9.1, 9.2, and 10.0, Siemense recommends installing the corresponding patches as soon as possible:

  • Version 9.1 Patch 413,
  • Version 9.2 Update 03 Patch 023, and
  • Version V10 Patch 005.

These software updates are available at Siemens customer support. For earlier versions, Siemens recommends upgrading to a newer version.

ICS-CERT encourages asset owners to take additional defensive measures to protect against this and other cybersecurity risks.

  • Minimize network exposure for all control system devices. Critical devices should not directly face the Internet.
  • Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls, and isolate them from the business network.
  • When remote access is required, use secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing that VPN is only as secure as the connected devices.

The Control Systems Security Program (CSSP) also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the CSSP Web page. Several recommended practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies. ICS-CERT reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to taking defensive measures.

Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available in the ICS-CERT Technical Information Paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01A—Cyber Intrusion Mitigation Strategies.

Organizations observing any suspected malicious activity should follow their established internal procedures and report their findings to ICS-CERT for tracking and correlation against other incidents.

This product is provided subject to this Notification and this Privacy & Use policy.

Vendor

Siemens