Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 and 5410 Packet Corruption Vulnerability

OVERVIEW

Rockwell Automation has identified a resource management vulnerability in Rockwell Automation’s Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 and Allen-Bradley Stratix 5410 industrial networking switches. Rockwell Automation has produced a new firmware version to mitigate this vulnerability.

This vulnerability could be exploited remotely.

AFFECTED PRODUCTS

The following Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley Stratix industrial switches are affected:

• Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 Industrial Ethernet Switch, firmware Versions 15.2(2)EA1, 15.2(2)EA2, and
• Allen-Bradley Stratix 5410 Industrial Distribution Switch, firmware Versions 15.2(2)EB.

IMPACT

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may allow a remote attacker to impact traffic (or packets) transiting the affected device.

Impact to individual organizations depends on many factors that are unique to each organization. NCCIC/ICS-CERT recommends that organizations evaluate the impact of this vulnerability based on their operational environment, architecture, and product implementation.

BACKGROUND

Rockwell Automation, which is a US-based company, provides industrial automation control and information products worldwide across a wide range of industries.

The affected products, Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 and 5410, are industrial switches. According to Rockwell Automation, the Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 and 5410 switches are deployed across several sectors including Critical Manufacturing, Energy, Water and Wastewater Systems, and others. Rockwell Automation estimates that these products are used worldwide.

VULNERABILITY CHARACTERIZATION

VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW

The vulnerability is due to improper processing of some Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) IPv4 packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending ICMP IPv4 packets to an affected device allowing an attacker to corrupt the packet waiting for transmission.

CVE-2016-1399NVD, http://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-2016-1399, NIST uses this advisory to create the CVE web site report. This web site will be active sometime after publication of this advisory. has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 5.8 has been assigned; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N).CVSS Calculator, https://www.first.org/cvss/calculator/3.0#CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N, web site last accessed June 23, 2016.

VULNERABILITY DETAILS

EXPLOITABILITY

This vulnerability could be exploited remotely.

EXISTENCE OF EXPLOIT

No known public exploits specifically target this vulnerability.

DIFFICULTY

An attacker with low skill would be able to exploit this vulnerability.

MITIGATION

The identified vulnerability was originally reported by Cisco to impact the Cisco Industrial Ethernet 4000 Series and 5000 Series switches. Rockwell Automation determined that the vulnerability also impacts Rockwell Automation’s Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 Industrial Ethernet Switches and the Allen-Bradley Stratix 5410 Industrial Distribution Switches, which contain affected versions of the Cisco IOS firmware. In response to the reported vulnerability, Rockwell Automation has released a new version of the Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 and Allen-Bradley Stratix 5410 firmware, Version 15.2(4)EA3, which addresses the vulnerability. Rockwell Automations encourages asset owners to upgrade to the newest available versions.

Rockwell Automation’s new firmware version, Version 15.2(4)EA3, for the Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 Industrial Ethernet Switches (Series A) and the Allen-Bradley Stratix 5410 Industrial Distribution Switches (Series A) can be downloaded from the following location (with a valid account): http://compatibility.rockwellautomation.com/Pages/MultiProductDownload.aspx?famID=5

To determine if Allen-Bradley Stratix 5400 or Allen-Bradley Stratix 5410 switches are using vulnerable firmware, please refer to Rockwell Automation’s Knowledgebase article, KB866255: Upgrading or Verifying Stratix Firmware, which is available at the following location (with a valid account):

https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/866255

ICS-CERT recommends that 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 that they are not accessible from the Internet.
• Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls, and isolate them from the business network.
• When remote access is required, use secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing that VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize that VPN is only as secure as the connected devices.

ICS-CERT reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.

ICS-CERT also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS-CERT web page at: http://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/content/recommended-practices. Several recommended 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 in the ICS‑CERT Technical Information Paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies, that is available for download from the ICS-CERT web site (http://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/).

Organizations observing any suspected malicious activity should follow their established internal procedures and report their findings to ICS-CERT for tracking and correlation against other incidents.