CVE-2019-12480 : What You Need to Know

The BACnet Protocol Stack version 0.8.6 is vulnerable to a segmentation fault, potentially leading to a denial of service attack in the BACnet Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU) Layer. This vulnerability is triggered by malformed Data Communication Control (DCC) in services like AtomicWriteFile, AtomicReadFile, and DeviceCommunicationControl.

Understanding CVE-2019-12480

This CVE identifies a critical vulnerability in the BACnet Protocol Stack version 0.8.6 that can be exploited by remote attackers to crash the bacserv daemon, causing a denial of service.

What is CVE-2019-12480?

The vulnerability in the BACnet Protocol Stack version 0.8.6 allows unauthenticated remote attackers to trigger a denial of service by exploiting an invalid read in bacdcode.c during the parsing of alarm tag numbers.

The Impact of CVE-2019-12480

If successfully exploited, this vulnerability can result in a denial of service by crashing the bacserv daemon, affecting the availability of BACnet systems and potentially disrupting critical operations.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-12480

The technical aspects of this CVE are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a segmentation fault in the BACnet Protocol Stack version 0.8.6, impacting the BACnet APDU Layer.
Malformed Data Communication Control (DCC) in specific services is the root cause of the issue.

Affected Systems and Versions

BACnet Protocol Stack version 0.8.6

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely without authentication, leading to a denial of service by crashing the bacserv daemon.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2019-12480, consider the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Implement network segmentation to limit exposure.
Apply vendor-supplied patches or updates promptly.
Monitor network traffic for any suspicious activity.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and systems.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing.
Educate users and administrators on best security practices.

Patching and Updates

Ensure that the BACnet Protocol Stack version 0.8.6 is updated with the latest patches to mitigate the vulnerability.