CVE-2019-10997 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 devices are vulnerable to a man-in-the-middle attack that can disrupt the PLC service, requiring a reboot or manual restart.

Understanding CVE-2019-10997

Prior to the 2019.0 LTS version, Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 devices were susceptible to a specific attack leading to service unresponsiveness.

What is CVE-2019-10997?

This CVE identifies a vulnerability in Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 devices that allows a man-in-the-middle attacker to disrupt the PLC service through Protocol Fuzzing on PC WORX Engineer.

The Impact of CVE-2019-10997

The exploitation of this vulnerability can render the PLC service unresponsive, potentially causing operational disruptions and downtime for affected devices.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-10997

Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 devices are affected by a specific issue that can be triggered by a man-in-the-middle attacker conducting Protocol Fuzzing on PC WORX Engineer.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 devices before the 2019.0 LTS version allows attackers to disrupt the PLC service, necessitating a device reboot or manual restart of the PLC service via a Linux shell.

Affected Systems and Versions

Devices: Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 (No.2404267) and AXC F 2152 STARTERKIT (No.1046568)
Versions: Before 2019.0 LTS

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers perform Protocol Fuzzing on PC WORX Engineer
Results in PLC service becoming unresponsive

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-10997, immediate actions and long-term security practices are recommended.

Immediate Steps to Take

Reboot the affected device
Manually restart the PLC service through a Linux shell

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement network segmentation to limit exposure
Regularly monitor and update device firmware
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing

Patching and Updates

Apply the latest firmware updates provided by Phoenix Contact to mitigate the vulnerability