CVE-2021-41547
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to perform zip path traversal attacks through an unsafe unzipping pattern in Teamcenter Active Workspace. Successful exploitation could enable remote code execution with administrative privileges. Affected versions include Teamcenter Active Workspace V4.3 (before V4.3.11), V5.0 (before V5.0.10), V5.1 (before V5.1.6), and V5.2 (before V5.2.3).
💻 Affected Systems
- Teamcenter Active Workspace
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with administrative shell access, allowing data theft, system manipulation, and lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to data exfiltration, installation of backdoors, or ransomware deployment.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, application whitelisting, and least privilege controls in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires the ability to upload zip files to the application, but detailed exploit techniques are not publicly documented.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: V4.3.11, V5.0.10, V5.1.6, V5.2.3
Vendor Advisory: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-133772.pdf
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the appropriate patch from Siemens support portal. 2. Backup current installation. 3. Apply the patch according to Siemens documentation. 4. Restart the application services. 5. Verify successful update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict File Uploads
allImplement strict file upload controls to block zip files or restrict uploads to trusted sources only.
Network Segmentation
allIsolate Teamcenter Active Workspace servers from critical systems and restrict inbound/outbound network traffic.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict input validation to reject zip files with path traversal patterns.
- Deploy application control solutions to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the Teamcenter Active Workspace version in the application administration console or configuration files.Check Version:
Check the application's web interface administration panel or consult the installation documentation for version verification methods.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify the version number matches or exceeds the patched versions: V4.3.11, V5.0.10, V5.1.6, or V5.2.3.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file extraction patterns
- Suspicious file paths in upload logs
- Unexpected process execution from Teamcenter directories
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from Teamcenter servers
- Suspicious file transfers
SIEM Query:
source="teamcenter" AND (event="file_upload" OR event="file_extract") AND file_path CONTAINS ".."