CVE-2017-9653 – An improper authorization vulnerability in OSIs... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2017-9653?

CVE-2017-9653 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). An improper authorization vulnerability in OSIsoft PI Integrator products allows attackers to gain privileged system access without proper authentication. This affects PI Integrator for Business Analytics, Microsoft Azure, and SAP HANA before specific versions. Attackers can potentially take full control of affected systems.

📋 TL;DR

An improper authorization vulnerability in OSIsoft PI Integrator products allows attackers to gain privileged system access without proper authentication. This affects PI Integrator for Business Analytics, Microsoft Azure, and SAP HANA before specific versions. Attackers can potentially take full control of affected systems.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

PI Integrator for Business Analytics
PI Integrator for Microsoft Azure
PI Integrator for SAP HANA

Versions: Before 2016 R2 for Business Analytics, before 2016 R2 SP1 for Azure, before 2017 for SAP HANA

Operating Systems: Windows (typical for PI systems)

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects default installations of these PI Integrator products. Industrial control systems using these integrators are at risk.

📦 What is this software?

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise allowing data theft, manipulation of industrial control systems, or disruption of critical operations.

🟠

Likely Case

Unauthorized access to sensitive industrial data, configuration changes, or lateral movement within the network.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper network segmentation and access controls prevent exploitation attempts.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH if exposed to internet, as CVSS 9.8 indicates critical remote exploit potential.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH due to potential for internal attackers or compromised systems to exploit the vulnerability.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

CWE-863 indicates improper authorization, suggesting authentication bypass. CVSS 9.8 suggests low attack complexity and no user interaction required.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2016 R2 for Business Analytics, 2016 R2 SP1 for Azure, 2017 for SAP HANA

Vendor Advisory: https://techsupport.osisoft.com/Troubleshooting/Alerts/AL00324

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download latest version from OSIsoft support portal. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Install update following vendor documentation. 4. Restart services/systems as required. 5. Verify functionality.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Segmentation

all

Isolate PI Integrator systems from untrusted networks and limit access to authorized users only.

Access Control Restrictions

all

Implement strict firewall rules and network access controls to limit connections to PI systems.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement network segmentation to isolate vulnerable systems from critical assets
Deploy intrusion detection systems and monitor for unauthorized access attempts

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check PI Integrator version in administration console or via OSIsoft documentation. Compare against affected versions.

Check Version:

Check via PI System Management Tools or consult OSIsoft documentation for version verification commands specific to each product.

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify installed version matches patched versions: 2016 R2 or later for Business Analytics, 2016 R2 SP1 or later for Azure, 2017 or later for SAP HANA.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unauthorized access attempts in PI audit logs
Unexpected privilege escalation events
Authentication bypass patterns

Network Indicators:

Unusual connections to PI Integrator ports
Traffic from unauthorized sources to PI systems

SIEM Query:

source="PI_Integrator" AND (event_type="authentication_failure" OR event_type="privilege_escalation")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2017-9653

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-863

Published: August 14, 2017

Last Updated: April 20, 2025

🔗 References

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/100212 Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-17-220-01 Mitigation,Third Party Advisory,US Government Resource
https://techsupport.osisoft.com/Troubleshooting/Alerts/AL00324 Vendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/100212 Third Party Advisory,VDB Entry
https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-17-220-01 Mitigation,Third Party Advisory,US Government Resource
https://techsupport.osisoft.com/Troubleshooting/Alerts/AL00324 Vendor Advisory

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