CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2024-3640NVD status: Deferred

FactoryTalk® Remote Access™: Unquoted Search Path or Element

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2024-3640 is a high-severity unquoted search path or element vulnerability in FactoryTalk® Remote Access™ from Rockwell Automation, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.0 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with administrator privileges, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. Affected FactoryTalk® Remote Access™ versions: v13.5.0.174. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.27% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of FactoryTalk® Remote Access™ you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Rockwell AutomationFactoryTalk® Remote Access™v13.5.0.174Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Attack requirements
NoneThe attack does not depend on a particular deployment or configuration.
Privileges required
HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
User interaction
ActiveA user must deliberately do something unusual, such as dismissing a warning.
Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
Integrity (vulnerable system)
HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
Availability (vulnerable system)
HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
Confidentiality (other systems)
NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Integrity (other systems)
NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Availability (other systems)
NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.

Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (rockwellautomation.com).

Official description

An unquoted executable path exists in the Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk® Remote Access™ possibly resulting in remote code execution if exploited. While running the FTRA installer package, the executable path is not properly quoted, which could allow a threat actor to enter a malicious executable and run it as a System user. A threat actor needs admin privileges to exploit this vulnerability.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Unquoted Search Path or Element

The product uses a search path that contains an unquoted element, in which the element contains whitespace or other separators. This can cause the product to access resources in a parent path.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Properly quote the full search path before executing a program on the system.
  • Inputs should be decoded and canonicalized to the application's current internal representation before being validated (CWE-180). Make sure that the application does not decode the same input twice (CWE-174). Such errors could be used to bypass allowlist validation schemes by introducing dangerous inputs after they have been checked.

More Unquoted Search Path or Element vulnerabilities (CWE-428)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Unquoted Search Path or Element vulnerabilities

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