CVE-2021-20600 : What You Need to Know

Mitsubishi Electric MELSEC iQ-R series C Controller Module R12CCPU-V Firmware Versions "16" and prior are affected by uncontrolled resource consumption, leading to a denial-of-service (DoS) vulnerability. Attackers can exploit this remotely without authentication.

Understanding CVE-2021-20600

This CVE pertains to the vulnerability in Mitsubishi Electric MELSEC iQ-R series C Controller Module R12CCPU-V Firmware Versions "16" and earlier, allowing unauthorized parties to trigger a DoS attack through resource exhaustion.

What is CVE-2021-20600?

The CVE-2021-20600 entails an uncontrolled resource consumption issue within the affected Mitsubishi Electric device's firmware. This flaw enables attackers to disrupt the system's normal operations through aggressive packet transmission.

The Impact of CVE-2021-20600

The impact of CVE-2021-20600 is the potential for a targeted DoS attack, where a threat actor can impair the availability of the controller module, necessitating a system reset to regain functionality.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-20600

This section provides insight into the vulnerability's description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Mitsubishi Electric MELSEC iQ-R series C Controller Module R12CCPU-V Firmware Versions "16" and prior allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to conduct DoS attacks by overwhelming the device with a substantial number of packets during startup.

Affected Systems and Versions

The impacted system includes the Mitsubishi Electric MELSEC iQ-R series C Controller Module R12CCPU-V running firmware versions "16" and earlier.

Exploitation Mechanism

By flooding the affected device with a large volume of packets immediately after startup, malicious actors can exploit the vulnerability to disrupt the device's functionality.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2021-20600, implement immediate steps for containment and adopt long-term security practices to enhance resilience.

Immediate Steps to Take

Organizations should consider monitoring network traffic, applying access controls, and restricting packet flow to mitigate the risk of DoS attacks on the vulnerable device.

Long-Term Security Practices

Establish comprehensive security protocols, conduct regular security assessments, and invest in intrusion detection systems to fortify the resilience of critical systems against potential exploits.

Patching and Updates

Stay updated with security advisories from Mitsubishi Electric and promptly apply firmware patches to address CVE-2021-20600 and other vulnerabilities in the affected devices.