A newly discovered security vulnerability, dubbed CVE-2022-3737, has been identified in the PHOENIX CONTACT Automationworx Software Suite up to version 1.89. This critical flaw is related to insufficient validation of user input data, which can lead to the possibility of reading memory beyond the intended scope. As a result, attackers could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the availability, integrity, or confidentiality of an application programming workstation. In this post, we will provide a brief overview of the vulnerability, demonstrate a code snippet highlighting the issue, and share links to original references and exploit details.

Vulnerability Details

The core of the issue in PHOENIX CONTACT Automationworx Software Suite lies within the insufficient validation of input data, causing potential memory leakage. This vulnerability has been assigned the CVE number CVE-2022-3737 and has a base score of 8.6, making it a high-risk flaw.

Exploiting this vulnerability could result in unauthorized access to sensitive information, a denial of service (DoS) attack against the affected software, or even remote code execution, depending on the attacker's skill level and intent.

Code Snippet

The following code snippet illustrates a sample scenario where the vulnerability could exist due to improper input validation:

def read_data(buffer, size):
    # Insufficient validation of input data
    if not check_input(size):
        return None

    # Reading memory beyond the intended scope
    return buffer[:size]

In the code above, the check_input() function should ideally validate the input size before executing the read_data() function. However, due to a lack of proper input validation, it may lead to unintended memory leakage if an attacker provides malicious input.

To gain a deeper understanding and explore the technical aspects of CVE-2022-3737, you can refer to the following resources:

1. PHOENIX CONTACT Automationworx Security Advisory: https://www.phoenixcontact.com/security-advisory
2. CVE Entry: https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2022-3737
3. National Vulnerability Database (NVD): https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-3737

Exploit Details

At the time of writing this post, no known exploits are publicly available for CVE-2022-3737. However, due to the high-risk nature of this vulnerability, attackers may develop exploits in the future. It's advisable for users and administrators to apply the necessary patches or updates provided by PHOENIX CONTACT to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.

Conclusion

CVE-2022-3737 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the PHOENIX CONTACT Automationworx Software Suite up to version 1.89. It's crucial to address this issue as soon as possible to prevent potential memory leakage and the subsequent compromise of the affected application programming workstation. Stay informed about this vulnerability by monitoring the provided references and ensuring that the latest security patches and updates are applied.

Timeline

Published on: 11/15/2022 11:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/15/2022 13:51:00 UTC