13 July 2021

KLCERT-20-024: Rockwell Automation ISaGRAF Runtime: Code Execution due to Uncontrolled Search Path Element

Researcher

Timeline

Timeline

  • Kaspersky ICS CERT advisory published

    13 July 2021

  • Rockwell Automation published the advisory

    08 June 2021

  • Rockwell Automation confirmed the vulnerability

    11 March 2020

  • Vulnerability reported

    21 February 2020

Description

ISaGRAF Runtime for Microsoft Windows searches its directory for all files that have extension “.dll” and loads them as dynamic libraries.

Integrity
⚠ Integrity of the system may be seriously affected
Availability
⚠ Availability of the system may be seriously affected

Exploitability

Locally exploitable

Attack complexity

⚠ Low skill level to exploit

Privilege required

High privilege level required: high-privilege level is required to create files in %PROGRAMFILES% directory

User interaction

⚠ No user interaction required

Confidentiality

⚠ Confidentiality of the system may be seriously affected

Impact

Uncontrolled loading of dynamic libraries could allow a local attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Affected products

  • Based on ISaGRAF Runtime 5 controllers:
    • All software versions
  • ISaGRAF Free Runtime:
    • All software versions

Mitigation

Rockwell Automation mitigation

Rockwell Automation recommends upgrading to ISaGRAF Runtime 5 version 5.72.00.

Since ISaGRAF 5 Runtime is provided to a customer as a development kit, implementing least-privilege may vary from implementation to implementation based on the hardware in use.

Customers should ensure that the least-privilege user principle is followed, and user/service account access to Runtime’s folder location is granted with a minimum amount of rights as needed.

Kaspersky publishes information on newly identified vulnerabilities in order to raise user awareness of the IT security threats detected. Kaspersky does not make any guarantees in respect of information received from vendors of products in which vulnerabilities have been identified, which is included in the following sections of the advisory: Affected Products, Vendor Mitigation.

Timeline

  • Kaspersky ICS CERT advisory published

    13 July 2021

  • Rockwell Automation published the advisory

    08 June 2021

  • Rockwell Automation confirmed the vulnerability

    11 March 2020

  • Vulnerability reported

    21 February 2020