ICS Advisory

Resource Data Management Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Last Revised
Alert Code
ICSA-15-265-01

OVERVIEW

Independent researcher Maxim Rupp has identified two vulnerabilities in Resource Data Management’s Data Manager application. Resource Data Management has produced a new version to mitigate these vulnerabilities.

These vulnerabilities could be exploited remotely.

AFFECTED PRODUCTS

Resource Data Management reports that the vulnerabilities affect the following versions of Data Manager:

  • Versions prior to 2.2

IMPACT

Privilege escalation allows an attacker to gain elevated access to resources that are normally protected from an application or user. This includes altering logs and parameters.

A cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack may allow the web browser to perform an unwanted action on a trusted site for which the user is currently authenticated.

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

BACKGROUND

Resource Data Management is a UK-based company that maintains offices in several countries around the world, including the US and Asia.

The affected product, Data Manager, is a web-based SCADA monitoring system. According to Resource Data Management, Data Manager is deployed across several sectors including Critical Manufacturing, Healthcare and Public Health, and Information Technology. Resource Data Management estimates that these products are used primarily in the US, UK, and in Asia.

VULNERABILITY CHARACTERIZATION

VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW

PRIVILEGE ESCALATIONCWE-269:Improper Privilege Management, http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/269.html, web site last accessed September 22, 2015.

A valid user can change the password for any other user, including administrators, to increase their privileges on the system.

CVE-2015-6470NVD, http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-2015-6470, 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 v3 base score of 8.8 has been assigned; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).CVSS Calculator, https://www.first.org/cvss/calculator/3.0#CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, web site last accessed September 22, 2015.

CROSS-SITE REQUEST FORGERYCWE-352:Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), http://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/352.html, web site last accessed September 22, 2015.

A CSRF attack occurs when a malicious program causes a web browser to perform an unwanted action on a trusted site for which the user is currently authenticated.

CVE-2015-6468NVD, http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-2015-6468, 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 v3 base score of 6.5 has been assigned; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).CVSS Calculator, https://www.first.org/cvss/calculator/3.0#CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, web site last accessed September 22, 2015.

VULNERABILITY DETAILS

EXPLOITABILITY

These vulnerabilities could be exploited remotely.

EXISTENCE OF EXPLOIT

No known public exploits specifically target these vulnerabilities.

DIFFICULTY

An attacker with a low skill would be able to exploit these vulnerabilities.

MITIGATION

Resource Data Management has developed Data Manager 2.2 that fixes both these vulnerabilities.

Customers can download Version 2.2 at:

https://www.resourcedm.com/en-us/Support/Download-Software.

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 (http://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/).

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

Resource Data Management