CVE-2019-18250
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms in ABB Power Generation Information Manager (PGIM) and Plant Connect systems, potentially enabling remote credential extraction. All organizations using these industrial control systems for power generation monitoring are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- ABB Power Generation Information Manager (PGIM)
- ABB Plant Connect
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of power generation monitoring systems, credential theft enabling lateral movement, and potential disruption to power generation operations.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive operational data, credential harvesting, and potential manipulation of monitoring systems.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and monitoring, but authentication bypass still possible.
🎯 Exploit Status
Authentication bypass vulnerabilities are typically easy to exploit once details are known.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Contact ABB for specific patched versions
Vendor Advisory: https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=3ADR010376&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Contact ABB support for appropriate patches
2. Apply patches following ABB's installation procedures
3. Restart affected systems
4. Verify authentication mechanisms are functioning correctly
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate affected systems from untrusted networks
Access Control Lists
allImplement strict firewall rules limiting access to affected systems
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate affected systems
- Deploy intrusion detection systems monitoring for authentication bypass attempts
- Implement multi-factor authentication where possible
- Monitor logs for unauthorized access attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check system version and compare with ABB's advisory. Test authentication mechanisms for bypass possibilities.Check Version:
Check through ABB system management interface or contact ABB supportVerify Fix Applied:
Verify patch installation through version check and test authentication mechanisms cannot be bypassed.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Failed authentication attempts followed by successful access
- Authentication bypass patterns in logs
- Unusual access from unexpected IP addresses
Network Indicators:
- Unauthenticated requests to authentication endpoints
- Traffic patterns indicating credential extraction
SIEM Query:
source="ABB_PGIM" OR source="ABB_PlantConnect" AND (event_type="auth_failure" AND event_type="auth_success" within 5s)