A researcher has identified two arbitrary code execution vulnerabilities in industrial control and automation software products developed by Opto 22. The vendor has released updates to resolve the flaws.
Opto 22 is a Temecula, California-based company that specializes in software and hardware solutions for industrial automation, remote monitoring, and data acquisition. The firm’s products are used across several industries, mainly in North America, to connect electrical, mechanical, and electronic devices to networks and computers.
Argentina-based researcher Ivan Sanchez from Nullcode Team, who recently identified security bugs in industrial control system (ICS) products from Schneider Electric, Siemens and Rockwell Automation, discovered that Opto 22 products are plagued by a couple of flaws that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution.
The more serious of the vulnerabilities, a heap-based buffer overflow (CVE-2015-1006), has been assigned a CVSS score of 9.0, according to an advisory published by ICS-CERT. The flaw affects OptoOPCServer, a server that integrates control systems with PCs on an Ethernet network running OPC clients. A remote attacker can exploit the vulnerability to execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of the software.
The second security hole is a stack-based buffer overflow (CVE-2015-1007) which, according to ICS-CERT, has a CVSS score of 6.2. The flaw affects older versions of OPC Test Client (OPCTest.exe) and it allows code execution through “exception handler chain corruption.”
This vulnerability can be exploited with the aid of specially crafted configuration files. While the heap-based buffer overflow can be exploited even by an attacker with low skill, successfully exploiting the stack-based buffer overflow is more difficult because the attacker needs to trick the victim into accepting a malformed configuration file and loading it into the vulnerable application.
The bugs affect PAC Project Basic and Professional, software suites designed for industrial automation, remote monitoring, and data acquisition; PAC Display Basic and Professional, software suites designed for building human-machine interfaces (HMI); and OptoDataLink, which connects the SNAP PAC System with database packages.
According to Opto 22, the vulnerability in OptoOPCServer affects versions R9.4b and earlier, and it has been addressed with the release of version R9.4c.
“OPTO 22 has addressed the heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the PAC Project installer, Version 9.4006, which is used to install the affected products,” ICS-CERT said. “The stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability has been addressed in the PAC Project installer, Version 9.4008, by removing the diagnostic tool, OPCTest.exe, from the installed software in the affected products.”
There is no evidence to suggest that exploits for these vulnerabilities are publicly available, ICS-CERT noted.
Eduard Kovacs (@EduardKovacs) is a contributing editor at SecurityWeek. He worked as a high school IT teacher for two years before starting a career in journalism as Softpedia’s security news reporter. Eduard holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial informatics and a master’s degree in computer techniques applied in electrical engineering.
More from Eduard Kovacs
- Critical Baicells Device Vulnerability Can Expose Telecoms Networks to Snooping
- SecurityWeek Analysis: Over 450 Cybersecurity M&A Deals Announced in 2022
- VMware ESXi Servers Targeted in Ransomware Attack via Old Vulnerability
- High-Severity Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Patched in VMware Workstation
- GoAnywhere MFT Users Warned of Zero-Day Exploit
- UK Car Retailer Arnold Clark Hit by Ransomware
- EV Charging Management System Vulnerabilities Allow Disruption, Energy Theft
- Unpatched Econolite Traffic Controller Vulnerabilities Allow Remote Hacking
Latest News
- Comcast Wants a Slice of the Enterprise Cybersecurity Business
- Critical Baicells Device Vulnerability Can Expose Telecoms Networks to Snooping
- New York Attorney General Fines Vendor for Illegally Promoting Spyware
- SecurityWeek Analysis: Over 450 Cybersecurity M&A Deals Announced in 2022
- 20 Million Users Impacted by Data Breach at Instant Checkmate, TruthFinder
- Cyber Insights 2023 | Zero Trust and Identity and Access Management
- Cyber Insights 2023 | The Coming of Web3
- European Police Arrest 42 After Cracking Covert App
