Authentication Bypass Vulnerability in BIST mode of RUGGEDCOM ROX II

An attacker with local access to a RUGGEDCOM ROX II device can bypass authentication through BIST mode and gain root shell access, allowing complete control of the network appliance including modification of routing, firewall rules, or traffic inspection.

Network infrastructure teams managing RUGGEDCOM ROX II industrial switches and routers used in utility, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure networks. These devices are commonly deployed as secure network appliances in water treatment, electric distribution, and other OT environments.

An attacker with physical or local terminal access to the device can enter BIST (Built-In-Self-Test) mode, which does not enforce authentication. Once in BIST mode, the attacker can access a root shell and execute arbitrary commands on the device.