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CVE-2018-17916: Aveva Indusoft Web Studio: Buffer overflow

CVE-2018-17916 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 and affects Aveva Indusoft Web Studio, along with 1 other product in NVD’s configuration data. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available.

Vulnerability description

InduSoft Web Studio versions prior to 8.1 SP2, and InTouch Edge HMI (formerly InTouch Machine Edition) versions prior to 2017 SP2. A remote attacker could send a carefully crafted packet to exploit a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability during tag, alarm, or event related actions such as read and write, with potential for code to be executed. If InduSoft Web Studio remote communication security was not enabled, or a password was left blank, a remote user could send a carefully crafted packet to invoke an arbitrary process, with potential for code to be executed. The code would be executed under the privileges of the InduSoft Web Studio or InTouch Edge HMI runtime and could lead to a compromise of the InduSoft Web Studio or InTouch Edge HMI server machine.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.1 9.8: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
  • Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
  • Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
  • User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
  • Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
  • Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
  • Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.

Underlying weakness

CWE-121: Stack-based Buffer Overflow

The product writes past the end of a buffer that was allocated on the stack.

CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write

The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Affected products

  • Aveva Indusoft Web Studio: 6.1 sp5; 6.1 sp6_p3; 7.1; 7.1 sp1; 7.1 sp2; 7.1 sp3; 7.1 sp3_p1; 7.1 sp3_p2; 7.1 sp3_p3; 7.1 sp3_p4; 7.1 sp3_p5; 7.1 sp3_p6
  • Aveva Edge: 8.1; 8.1 sp1
  • Aveva Intouch Machine Edition 2014: r2

References