OTPulse
FeedAboutContact

Siemens SIMATIC HMI Products (Update A)

Monitor6.5ICS-CERT ICSA-20-252-06Sep 8, 2020
Attack VectorNetwork
Auth RequiredNone
ComplexityLow
User InteractionNone needed
Summary

SIMATIC HMI Products are affected by password discovery and brute-force authentication bypass vulnerabilities (CWE-307, CWE-305). A remote attacker without authentication can discover user passwords and gain unauthorized access to the Sm@rt Server through weak password handling and insufficient rate limiting on login attempts.

What this means
What could happen
An attacker could discover operator passwords and gain remote access to HMI systems, allowing them to view process data, modify settings, or trigger alarms without authorization. This could disrupt visualization and control of industrial processes across manufacturing plants.
Who's at risk
Manufacturing plants operating Siemens SIMATIC HMI systems, including Basic Panels, Comfort Panels, Mobile Panels, and Unified Comfort Panels. This affects operators and engineers who rely on these interfaces for process monitoring and control. Any facility using these panels for production oversight is exposed.
How it could be exploited
An attacker on the network sends rapid login requests to the Sm@rt Server with common passwords or dictionary lists. Due to insufficient brute-force protection (CWE-307) and weak password handling (CWE-305), the attacker can discover valid credentials and gain access to the HMI interface and underlying process controls.
Prerequisites
  • Network access to the HMI device or Sm@rt Server port (typically TCP 102 for S7 or web interface ports)
  • The HMI system must be reachable from the attacker's network segment
  • No requirement for existing credentials to initiate brute-force attack
remotely exploitableno authentication requiredlow complexitypassword discovery vulnerabilitybrute-force attack possible
Exploitability
Low exploit probability (EPSS 0.4%)
Affected products (4)
4 with fix
ProductAffected VersionsFix Status
SIMATIC HMI Basic Panels 2nd Generation (incl. SIPLUS variants)<V1616 Update 3
SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels (incl. SIPLUS variants)≤ V1616 Update 3
SIMATIC HMI Mobile Panels≤ V1616 Update 3
SIMATIC HMI Unified Comfort Panels≤ V1616 Update 5
Remediation & Mitigation
0/7
Do now
0/2
WORKAROUNDFor Unified Comfort Panels using SmartClient, use complex passwords of maximum length (8+ characters recommended, though truncated to 8 by RFC 6143 limitation)
HARDENINGImplement network access controls and firewall rules to restrict access to HMI ports from authorized networks only
Schedule — requires maintenance window
0/4

Patching may require device reboot — plan for process interruption

SIMATIC HMI Mobile Panels
HOTFIXUpdate SIMATIC HMI Mobile Panels to v16 Update 3 or later
SIMATIC HMI Unified Comfort Panels
HOTFIXUpdate SIMATIC HMI Unified Comfort Panels to v16 Update 5 or later
All products
HOTFIXUpdate SIMATIC HMI Basic Panels 2nd Generation to v16 Update 3 or later
HOTFIXUpdate SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels to v16 Update 3 or later
Long-term hardening
0/1
HARDENINGApply defense-in-depth strategies including network segmentation between corporate IT and OT environments
View full CISA ICS-CERT advisory
↑↓ Navigate · Esc Close
API: /api/v1/advisories/e22442d0-35b5-4d21-89fa-eabe94917b0d