CVE-2023-0426 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

This CVE-2023-0426 pertains to a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in ABB Freelance controllers AC 700F and AC 900F. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the mentioned products and has the potential to allow an attacker to disrupt or render the product inaccessible.

Understanding CVE-2023-0426

This section delves deeper into the nature of the vulnerability, its impacts, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-0426?

The CVE-2023-0426 vulnerability involves a stack-based buffer overflow in ABB Freelance controllers AC 700F and AC 900F. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to disrupt the affected product, potentially leading to service denial or unavailability.

The Impact of CVE-2023-0426

The vulnerability poses a high availability impact, with attackers able to exploit it to cause the affected product to malfunction or become inaccessible. This can result in disruptions to critical services and operations.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-0426

In this section, we will explore the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in ABB Freelance controllers AC 700F and AC 900F allows attackers to manipulate the stack, potentially leading to system crashes or unauthorized access.

Affected Systems and Versions

The following product versions are affected:

Freelance controllers AC 700F: Versions ranging from 9.0;0 through V9.2 SP2, Freelance 2013, 2013SP1, 2016, 2016SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1, to 2019 SP1 FP1.
Freelance controllers AC 900F: Versions from Freelance 2013, 2013SP1, 2016, 2016SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1, to 2019 SP1 FP1.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by utilizing stack-based buffer overflow techniques to inject malicious code or commands, potentially leading to unauthorized system access or disruptions.

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we will discuss the immediate steps to take, long-term security practices, and the importance of patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

It is recommended to disable the web server when not in use to mitigate the CVE-2023-0426 vulnerability. By default, the web server is disabled starting from Freelance 2019 SP1 FP1, as detailed in the release notes.

Long-Term Security Practices

In the long term, organizations are advised to regularly update and patch their systems, conduct security audits, implement network segmentation, and educate users on cybersecurity best practices to enhance overall resilience against such vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Updating to the latest versions that contain security patches, following vendor guidelines, and staying informed about potential vulnerabilities are essential steps to prevent exploitation of CVE-2023-0426 and similar security risks.