PT-2014-20: XML External Entities Resolution vulnerability in Wonderware Information Server

Vulnerable software

Wonderware Information Server
Version: 4.0 SP1 Portal, 4.5 Portal, 5.0 Portal, and 5.5 Portal

Severity level

Severity level: Medium
Impact: Network Resources and File System Access, Denial of Service
Access Vector: Remote

CVSS v2:
Base Score: 4.9
Vector: (AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:P)

CVE: CVE-2014-5398

Software description

Wonderware Information Server aggregates and presents plant performance metrics and production data to operations, maintenance and engineering personnel, via an easy to implement web solution. Wonderware Information Server as well as Wonderware Intouch HMI are the part of a unified solution for building ArchestrA System Platform SCADA- and HMI-systems. This solution is used by personnel of nuclear power plants, chemical plants and other critically important objects.

Vulnerability description

The specialists of the Positive Research center have detected an XML External Entities Resolution vulnerability in Wonderware Information Server.

WIS may allow access to local resources (files and internal resources) via unsafe parsing of XML external entities. By using specially crafted XML files, an attacker can cause these products to send the contents of local remote resources to the attacker’s server or cause a denial of service of the system.

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Advisory status

01.04.2014 - Vendor gets vulnerability details
26.08.2014 - Vendor releases fixed version and details
05.09.2014 - Public disclosure

Credits

The vulnerability was detected by Ilya Karpov, Positive Research Center (Positive Technologies Company)

References

http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/PT-2014-20
https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-14-238-02

Reports on the vulnerabilities previously discovered by Positive Research:

http://www.ptsecurity.com/research/advisory/
http://en.securitylab.ru/lab/