CVE-2023-2625
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers on the same network segment as CoreTec 4 systems to execute arbitrary shell commands through the web interface. Any user with VIEWER access or higher can exploit this to gain full system control. This affects CoreTec 4 systems with vulnerable versions exposed to internal networks.
💻 Affected Systems
- ABB CoreTec 4
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attacker to install persistent backdoors, steal sensitive data, pivot to other network systems, or disrupt industrial operations.
Likely Case
Attacker gains administrative control of the CoreTec 4 system, potentially modifying configurations, accessing sensitive operational data, or disrupting normal operations.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper network segmentation and access controls prevent unauthorized users from reaching the web interface.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access but is straightforward through web interface field injection
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not specified in provided references, but ABB advisory indicates fixes available
Vendor Advisory: https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=8DBD000163&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest firmware from ABB portal. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Apply firmware update following ABB documentation. 4. Verify update successful and restart system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate CoreTec 4 systems on separate VLANs with strict access controls
Access Restriction
allImplement strict authentication controls and limit user access to minimum required privileges
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate CoreTec 4 from general user networks
- Apply principle of least privilege and audit all user accounts with access to the web interface
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check system version against ABB advisory and test if command injection is possible in web interface fieldsCheck Version:
Check web interface system information page or consult ABB documentation for version checkingVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version matches patched version from ABB advisory and test that command injection no longer works📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual shell command execution patterns
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful login and command execution
- Web interface field submissions containing shell metacharacters
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from CoreTec 4 systems
- Traffic patterns indicating command and control activity
SIEM Query:
source="coretec4" AND (event="command_execution" OR message="*;*" OR message="*|*" OR message="*`*" OR message="*$(*")