CVE-2023-26293
📋 TL;DR
This path traversal vulnerability in Siemens TIA Portal allows attackers to create or overwrite arbitrary files when users open malicious PC system configuration files. Successful exploitation could lead to arbitrary code execution on the engineering system. Affected users include those running TIA Portal V15, V16 (< Update 7), V17 (< Update 6), or V18 (< Update 1).
💻 Affected Systems
- Siemens Totally Integrated Automation Portal (TIA Portal)
📦 What is this software?
Tia Portal by Siemens
Tia Portal by Siemens
Tia Portal by Siemens
Tia Portal by Siemens
Tia Portal by Siemens
Tia Portal by Siemens
Tia Portal by Siemens
Tia Portal by Siemens
Tia Portal by Siemens
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise through arbitrary code execution leading to industrial control system manipulation, data theft, or ransomware deployment.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to unauthorized access to engineering projects and configuration files.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper user training and restricted file opening privileges.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires social engineering to trick user into opening malicious file. No public exploit code available as of analysis.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: V16 Update 7, V17 Update 6, V18 Update 1
Vendor Advisory: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-116924.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download appropriate update from Siemens Industry Online Support. 2. Close TIA Portal. 3. Run update installer. 4. Restart system. 5. Verify version in TIA Portal About dialog.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict File Opening
windowsOnly open PC system configuration files from trusted sources. Implement file extension filtering.
User Training
allTrain users to recognize suspicious files and avoid opening untrusted configuration files.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized files.
- Use least privilege accounts for TIA Portal users and restrict file system write permissions.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check TIA Portal version in Help > About dialog. If version matches affected ranges, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Open TIA Portal > Help > About > Check version numberVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version shows V16 Update 7 or higher, V17 Update 6 or higher, or V18 Update 1 or higher in About dialog.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file creation/modification in system directories
- TIA Portal crash logs after opening configuration files
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from TIA Portal process
SIEM Query:
Process: 'TIA Portal' AND FileOperation: ('Create' OR 'Modify') AND Path: contains '..' or unusual system paths