ICS Advisory

EasyIO-30P-SF Hard-Coded Credential Vulnerability

Last Revised
Alert Code
ICSA-15-237-02

OVERVIEW

This advisory was originally posted to the US-CERT secure Portal library on August 25, 2015, and is being released to the NCCIC/ICS-CERT web site.

Independent researcher Maxim Rupp has identified a hard-coded credential vulnerability in the EasyIO-30P-SF controller. EasyIO has produced a patch to mitigate this vulnerability. Maxim Rupp has tested the patch to validate that it resolves the vulnerability.

This vulnerability could be exploited remotely.

AFFECTED PRODUCTS

The following EasyIO-30P-SF controllers are affected:

  • All EasyIO-30P-SF controllers running firmware prior to build v0.5.21, and
  • All EasyIO-30P-SF controllers running firmware prior to build v2.0.5.21

This controller is used in a number of Direct Digital Control (DDC) controller products associated with DDC systems from many users worldwide.

ICS-CERT has created a supplementSupplement to ICSA-15-237-02 EasyIO-30P-SF Hard-Coded Credential Vulnerability, https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-15-237-02-Supplement, web site last accessed September 24, 2015. to this advisory that contains a list of nine OEM products that encompass the EasyIO-30P-SF controller. This supplement will be updated as new patch information is received without updating this advisory.

IMPACT

Exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker complete access to the controller.

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

EasyIO is a Malaysia-based company that markets its controller products worldwide.

The affected product, EasyIO-30P-SF, is a 32-bit controller that is used in a number of DDC systems worldwide. According to EasyIO, affected controller units are deployed across several sectors including Commercial Facilities, Critical Manufacturing, Energy, Water and Wastewater Systems, and others. EasyIO markets these products worldwide.

VULNERABILITY CHARACTERIZATION

VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW

USE OF HARD-CODED PASSWORDCWE-259: Use of Hard-coded Password, http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/259.html, web site last accessed August 25, 2015.

The EasyIO-30P-SF controller has a hard-coded credential vulnerability. This could allow the attacker to have complete access to the controller.

CVE-2015-3974NVD, http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-2015-3974, NIST uses this advisory to create the CVE web site report. This web site will be active sometime after publication of this advisory. has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v2 base score of 9.0 has been assigned; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C).CVSS Calculator, http://nvd.nist.gov/cvss.cfm?version=2&vector=AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C, web site last accessed August 25, 2015.

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 low skill would be able to exploit this vulnerability.

MITIGATION

EasyIO has produced a patch to mitigate this vulnerability. Maxim Rupp has tested the patch to validate that it resolves the vulnerability.

EasyIO has deployed the new patch to all nine OEM vendors to allow them to update their respective products.

These vendors are: Accutrol LLC, Bar-Tech Automation Pty Ltd, Infocon/EasyIO, Honeywell Automation India, Johnson Controls Group, SyxthSENSE, Transformative Wave Technologies, LLC, Tridium Asia Pacific Ltd, and Tridium Europe.

Each vendor has its own method and location for the end users to obtain information on how to receive and install this patch. In some cases, the OEM vendors prefer to be part of the patch process to ensure correct configurations and to minimum unnecessary downtime.

These mitigation plans may be found in the ICS-CERT advisory supplement titled Supplement to ICSA-15-237-02 EASYIO-30P-SF Hard-Coded Credential Vulnerability.

ICS-CERT recommends that users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities. Specifically, users should:

  • Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, and ensure that they are not accessible from 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 VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize that VPN is only as secure as the connected devices.

ICS-CERT reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.

ICS-CERT also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS-CERT web page at http://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/content/recommended-practices. Several recommended practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.

Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available in the ICS‑CERT Technical Information Paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B—Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies, that is available for download from the ICS-CERT web site (www.ics-cert.org).

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

EasyIO