CVE-2019-19101 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability in B&R Automation Studio allows unauthenticated users to conduct MITM attacks due to incomplete TLS validation and lack of secure communication definition.

Understanding CVE-2019-19101

What is CVE-2019-19101?

CVE-2019-19101 is a security flaw in B&R Automation Studio that enables unauthenticated users to perform MITM attacks through the upgrade server.

The Impact of CVE-2019-19101

The vulnerability poses a medium severity risk with a CVSS base score of 6.5. It allows attackers to intercept communication and compromise the integrity of the system.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-19101

Vulnerability Description

Unauthenticated users exploit incomplete TLS validation and lack of secure communication definition in B&R Automation Studio versions.

Affected Systems and Versions

Automation Studio versions 4.0.x, 4.1.x, 4.2.x, < 4.3.11SP, < 4.4.9SP, < 4.5.5SP, < 4.6.3SP, < 4.7.2.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can carry out MITM attacks via the B&R upgrade server due to the incomplete TLS validation and lack of secure communication definition.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update B&R Automation Studio to versions that address the vulnerability.
Implement network segmentation to limit exposure.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit network traffic for anomalies.
Enforce strong authentication mechanisms.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by B&R to fix the incomplete communication encryption and validation issue.