CVE-2021-22678
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2021-22678 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Cscape software that allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening malicious project files. This affects all Cscape versions prior to 9.90 SP4, putting industrial control system operators at risk.
💻 Affected Systems
- Cscape
📦 What is this software?
Cscape by Hornerautomation
Cscape by Hornerautomation
Cscape by Hornerautomation
Cscape by Hornerautomation
Cscape by Hornerautomation
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with attacker gaining full control of the engineering workstation, potentially enabling lateral movement to industrial control systems.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation or remote code execution when users open specially crafted project files, leading to data theft or system manipulation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and user awareness preventing malicious file execution.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires user interaction to open malicious project file. No public exploit code available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Cscape 9.90 SP4 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics/advisories/icsa-21-112-01
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Cscape 9.90 SP4 or later from official Eaton website. 2. Backup existing projects. 3. Install the update. 4. Restart system. 5. Verify version in Help > About.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict project file execution
windowsImplement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized Cscape project files.
Using Windows AppLocker or similar: New rule for Cscape executable, allow only signed versions.
User awareness training
allTrain users to only open project files from trusted sources and verify file integrity.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate Cscape workstations from untrusted networks.
- Use least privilege principles - run Cscape with limited user accounts, not administrator.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Open Cscape, go to Help > About. If version is below 9.90 SP4, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
In Cscape: Help > About menu optionVerify Fix Applied:
After update, check Help > About shows version 9.90 SP4 or higher.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Event Logs: Application crashes from Cscape.exe
- Unexpected process creation from Cscape context
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Cscape workstations
- File transfers to/from engineering workstations
SIEM Query:
source="windows" AND process="Cscape.exe" AND (event_id=1000 OR event_id=1001)