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Siemens SIMATIC HMI Devices Vulnerabilities (Update E)

Low RiskICS-CERT ICSA-15-099-01EJan 10, 2015
Summary

Siemens SIMATIC HMI devices and related software are vulnerable to CWE-836 (improper restriction of access). The vulnerability affects multiple HMI panel generations (Basic, Comfort, Mobile), WinCC Runtime variants, WinCC software, SIMATIC NET, and SIMATIC PCS 7 systems. Specific technical details of the vulnerability mechanism are not provided in this advisory.

What this means
What could happen
An attacker with network access to affected HMI devices could potentially bypass access restrictions and interact with industrial process control systems, potentially altering operator displays or process data visibility.
Who's at risk
Operators of SIEMENS manufacturing automation systems should be concerned. This affects HMI operator panels (Basic Panels, Comfort Panels, Mobile Panels) used to monitor and control industrial processes, as well as WinCC SCADA/HMI software running on engineering or runtime workstations. Organizations using TIA Portal integrated automation systems with V12 or V13 software are affected.
How it could be exploited
An attacker on the network could send requests to an affected HMI device (Basic Panel, Comfort Panel, Mobile Panel, or WinCC Runtime) that bypass the intended access controls due to CWE-836. This could allow unauthorized interaction with the device without proper authentication or authorization checks.
Prerequisites
  • Network access to the affected HMI device or software
  • Device running vulnerable version (V12 or V13 software as listed)
  • No explicit mention of requiring special credentials or administrative access
No patch availableAffects HMI/operator interfaces (critical visibility into process control)Wide range of products affected across multiple Siemens HMI product linesAccess control bypass vulnerability
Exploitability
Low exploit probability (EPSS 0.5%)
Affected products (17)
17 EOL
ProductAffected VersionsFix Status
SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels V12: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V12_SP1_Upd5<WinCC TIA Portal V12 SP1 Upd5No fix (EOL)
SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels V13: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V13_SP1_Upd2<WinCC TIA Portal V13 SP1 Upd2No fix (EOL)
SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Advanced V12: <WinCC_Runtime_Advanced_V12_SP1_Upd5<WinCC Runtime Advanced V12 SP1 Upd5No fix (EOL)
SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Advanced V13: <WinCC_Runtime_Advanced_V13_SP1_Upd2<WinCC Runtime Advanced V13 SP1 Upd2No fix (EOL)
SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional V13: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V13_SP1_Upd2<WinCC TIA Portal V13 SP1 Upd2No fix (EOL)
Remediation & Mitigation
0/4
Do now
0/3
HARDENINGIsolate affected SIMATIC HMI devices and WinCC systems on separate network segments away from untrusted networks. Implement firewall rules to restrict access to HMI devices to only authorized engineering workstations and control network devices.
HARDENINGMonitor network traffic to affected HMI devices for unauthorized access attempts. Implement access logging on affected systems to detect suspicious connections.
WORKAROUNDDisable remote access to affected HMI devices if not required for operations. If remote access is necessary, implement additional authentication controls such as VPN with multi-factor authentication.
Mitigations - no patch available
0/1
The following products have reached End of Life with no planned fix: SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels V12: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V12_SP1_Upd5, SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels V13: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V13_SP1_Upd2, SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Advanced V12: <WinCC_Runtime_Advanced_V12_SP1_Upd5, SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Advanced V13: <WinCC_Runtime_Advanced_V13_SP1_Upd2, SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional V13: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V13_SP1_Upd2, SIMATIC HMI Basic Panels 1st Generation (WinCC TIA Portal) V12: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V12_SP1_Upd5, SIMATIC HMI Mobile Panel 277 (WinCC TIA Portal) V12: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V12_SP1_Upd5, SIMATIC HMI Mobile Panel 277 (WinCC TIA Portal) V13: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V13_SP1_Upd4, SIMATIC HMI Multi Panels (WinCC TIA Portal) V12: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V12_SP1_Upd5, SIMATIC NET PC-Software V12: <V12_SP2_HF3, SIMATIC NET PC-Software V13: <V13_HF1, SIMATIC WinCC V7.2: <V7.2_Upd11, SIMATIC WinCC V7.3: <V7.3_Upd4, SIMATIC PCS 7: <V8.1_SP1, SIMATIC HMI Basic Panels 1st Generation (WinCC TIA Portal) V13: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V13_SP1_Upd4, SIMATIC HMI Multi Panels (WinCC TIA Portal) V13: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V13_SP1_Upd4, SIMATIC HMI Basic Panels 2nd Generation V13: <WinCC_TIA_Portal_V13_SP1_Upd2. Apply the following compensating controls:
HARDENINGContact Siemens for guidance on long-term mitigation strategies. Evaluate whether equipment can be upgraded to newer product versions that may not be affected, or plan for lifecycle replacement.
View full CISA ICS-CERT advisory
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