CVE-2021-33007
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on systems running vulnerable versions of Delta Electronics TPEditor by tricking users into opening a malicious project file. It affects industrial control systems using TPEditor version 1.98.06 and earlier for programming Delta PLCs.
💻 Affected Systems
- Delta Electronics TPEditor
📦 What is this software?
Tpeditor by Deltaww
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining complete control over the engineering workstation, potentially enabling lateral movement to PLCs and other industrial systems.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to unauthorized access to engineering software and potentially PLC programming capabilities.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation and least privilege principles are implemented, restricting the attack to isolated engineering workstations.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction to open a malicious project file. No public exploit code is known, but heap-based buffer overflows are commonly weaponized.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: v1.98.07 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.deltaww.com/en-US/Service/DownloadCenter
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download TPEditor v1.98.07 or later from Delta Electronics website. 2. Close all TPEditor instances. 3. Run the installer and follow upgrade prompts. 4. Restart the system after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict project file execution
windowsBlock execution of .tpe project files from untrusted sources using application whitelisting or file restrictions.
Using AppLocker: New-AppLockerPolicy -RuleType Path -Action Deny -Path "*.tpe" -User Everyone
Network segmentation
allIsolate engineering workstations from general corporate networks and internet access.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict user training about opening project files only from trusted sources
- Deploy application control solutions to prevent execution of unauthorized TPEditor project files
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check TPEditor version via Help > About menu. If version is 1.98.06 or earlier, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
No command-line option. Check via GUI: Help > About in TPEditor.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify TPEditor version is 1.98.07 or later in Help > About menu after patching.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Application logs showing TPEditor crashes with access violation errors
- Antivirus alerts for suspicious .tpe files
Network Indicators:
- Unusual network connections from engineering workstations
- File transfers of .tpe files to engineering systems
SIEM Query:
source="Windows Security" EventID=4688 ProcessName="TPEditor.exe" AND CommandLine LIKE "%.tpe%"