1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

​CVSS v3 9.8
​ATTENTION: Exploitable remotely/low attack complexity
​Vendor: ARDEREG
​Equipment: Sistemas SCADA
​Vulnerability: SQL Injection

2. RISK EVALUATION

​Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to manipulate SQL query logic to extract sensitive information and perform unauthorized actions within the database.

3. TECHNICAL DETAILS

3.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS

​The following ARDEREG products are affected: 

​Sistemas SCADA: Versions 2.203 and prior

3.2 VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW

3.2.1 ​IMPROPER NEUTRALIZATION OF SPECIAL ELEMENTS USED IN AN SQL COMMAND (‘SQL INJECTION’) CWE-89

​Sistema SCADA Central, a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, is designed to monitor and control various industrial processes and critical infrastructure. ARDEREG identified this SCADA system’s login page to be vulnerable to an unauthenticated blind SQL injection attack. An attacker could manipulate the application’s SQL query logic to extract sensitive information or perform unauthorized actions within the database. In this case, the vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary SQL queries through the login page, potentially leading to unauthorized access, data leakage, or even disruption of critical industrial processes.

​CVE-2023-4485 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 9.8 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

3.3 BACKGROUND

​CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Health, Public Health
​COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: South America
​COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: Argentina

3.4 RESEARCHER

​Momen Eldawakhly of Samurai Digital Security Ltd. reported this vulnerability to CISA.

4. MITIGATIONS

​ARDEREG is aware of the issue but has not responded to our requests. For more information, contact ARDEREG by email.

​ARDEREG recommends the following workarounds to help reduce the risk:

​Security Awareness and Training: Conduct regular security awareness and training sessions for developers, administrators, and other personnel involved in the management and operation of the SCADA system. Educate about the risks and consequences of SQL injection vulnerabilities and provide guidance on secure coding practices, proper input validation, and best practices for securely interacting with databases.
​Regular Security Assessments: Perform regular security assessments, including penetration testing and code reviews, to identify and address any vulnerabilities in the SCADA system. Conduct internal security audits to evaluate the overall security posture and identify any weaknesses an attacker could exploit through SQL injection or other attack vectors.
​Incident Response Plan: Develop and maintain an incident response plan specifically tailored to address security incidents related to SQL injection and other vulnerabilities in the SCADA system. Establish clear procedures and responsibilities for responding to and mitigating security incidents, including containment, investigation, and recovery steps.
​Vendor and Supply Chain Security: Ensure the vendors and suppliers involved in the development and maintenance of the SCADA system follow secure coding practices and adhere to strict security standards. Regularly evaluate and monitor the security practices to minimize the risk of introducing vulnerabilities through the supply chain.
​System Segmentation: Implement network segmentation to isolate the SCADA system from other less critical systems or public-facing networks. This reduces the attack surface and limits the potential impact of a successful SQL injection attack by containing it within a restricted network segment.

​CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of this vulnerability. Specifically, users should:

​Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, and ensure they are not accessible from the Internet.
​Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolate them from business networks.
​When remote access is required, use secure methods, such as virtual private networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as its connected devices.

​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 at cisa.gov/ics. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best 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 at cisa.gov/ics in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B–Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.

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

​No known public exploitation specifically targeting this vulnerability has been reported to CISA at this time.