1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  • CVSS v3 6.4
  • ATTENTION: Exploitable locally
  • Vendor: Siemens
  • Equipment: Industrial Products
  • Vulnerability: Improper privilege management

2. UPDATE INFORMATION

This updated advisory is a follow-up to the updated advisory titled ICSA-16-313-02 Siemens Industrial Products Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (Update H) that was published June 14, 2018, on the ICS webpage on us-cert.gov.

3. RISK EVALUATION

This vulnerability could allow local users to escalate their privileges if the affected products are not installed under the default path.

4. TECHNICAL DETAILS

4.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS

Siemens reports that the vulnerability affects the following products:

  • Primary Setup Tool (PST): All versions prior to v4.2 HF1
  • SIMATIC IT Production Suite: All versions prior to v7.0 SP1 HFX 2
  • SIMATIC NET PC-Software: All versions prior to v14
  • SIMATIC PCS 7 v7.1 and earlier versions
  • SIMATIC PCS 7 v8.0: All versions
  • SIMATIC PCS 7 v8.1: All versions
  • SIMATIC PCS 7 v8.2: All versions prior to v8.2 SP1
  • SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) v13: All versions prior to v13 SP2
  • SIMATIC STEP 7 v5.X: All versions prior to v5.5 SP4 HF11

——— Begin Update I Part 1 of 2 ———

  • SIMATIC WinAC RTX (F) 2010 SP2: All versions prior to SIMATIC WinAC RTX 2010 SP3

——— End Update I Part 1 of 2 ———

  • SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) Basic, Comfort, Advanced: All versions prior to v14
  • SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) Professional v13: All versions prior to v13 SP2
  • SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) Professional v14: All versions prior to v14 SP1
  • SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional v13: All versions prior to v13 SP2
  • SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional v14: All versions prior to v14 SP1
  • SIMATIC WinCC v7.0 SP2 and earlier versions prior to v7.0 SP2 Update 12
  • SIMATIC WinCC v7.0 SP3: All versions prior to v7.0 SP3 Update 8
  • SIMATIC WinCC v7.2: All versions prior to v7.2 Update 14
  • SIMATIC WinCC v7.3: All versions prior to v7.3 Update 11
  • SIMATIC WinCC v7.4: All versions prior to v7.4 SP1
  • SIMIT: All versions prior to v9.0 SP1
  • SINEMA Remote Connect Client: All versions prior to v1.0 SP3
  • SINEMA Server: All versions prior to v13 SP2
  • SOFTNET Security Client v5.0: All versions
  • Security Configuration Tool (SCT): All versions prior to v4.3 HF1
  • TeleControl Server Basic: All versions prior to v3.0 SP2

4.2 VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW

4.2.1    IMPROPER PRIVILEGE MANAGEMENT CWE-269

Unquoted service paths could allow local Microsoft Windows operating system users to escalate their privileges if the affected products are not installed under their default path (“C:\Program Files\*” or the localized equivalent).

CVE-2016-7165 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 6.4 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

4.3 BACKGROUND

•    CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Chemical, Energy, Food and Agriculture, and Water and Wastewater Systems
•    COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide
•    COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: Germany

4.4 RESEARCHER

WATERSURE and KIANDRA IT reported this vulnerability to Siemens.

5. MITIGATIONS

If the affected products are installed under their default path (“C:\Program Files\*” or the localized equivalent) and the default file system access permissions for drive C:\ were not modified, the security vulnerability is not exploitable.

However, if the affected products are not installed under their default path (“C:\Program Files\*” or the localized equivalent), the security vulnerability is potentially exploitable.

Siemens has released updates for the following products and encourages users to apply the updates as soon as possible:

  • SIMATIC PCS 7 v8.2: Update to v8.2 SP1

To obtain SIMATIC PCS 7 v8.2 SP1 contact your local support.

——— Begin Update I Part 2 of 2 ———

——— End Update I Part 2 of 2 ———

  • SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) Basic, Comfort, Advanced: Upgrade to v14

Siemens strongly recommends users protect network access to engineering workstations and project storage with appropriate mechanisms. Siemens also advises that users configure the operational environment according to the Siemens Operational Guidelines for Industrial Security.

For more information on this vulnerability and more detailed mitigation instructions, please see Siemens Security Advisory SSA-701708 at the following location:

http://www.siemens.com/cert/advisories

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

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 us-cert.gov. 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 on the ICS webpage on us-cert.gov in the Technical Information Paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B–Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.

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

No known public exploits specifically target this vulnerability. This vulnerability is not exploitable remotely. High skill level is needed to exploit.

 

Source:

https://www.us-cert.gov/ics/advisories/ICSA-16-313-02