CVE-2023-28827
📋 TL;DR
A denial-of-service vulnerability in Siemens SIMATIC industrial communication processors and related products allows remote attackers to crash devices by sending specially crafted requests to the web server. The vulnerability affects multiple SIMATIC CP, HMI, IPC, and WinCC products, primarily in industrial control systems.
💻 Affected Systems
- SIMATIC CP 1242-7 V2
- SIMATIC CP 1243-1
- SIMATIC CP 1243-1 DNP3
- SIMATIC CP 1243-1 IEC
- SIMATIC CP 1243-7 LTE
- SIMATIC CP 1243-8 IRC
- SIMATIC HMI Comfort Panels
- SIMATIC IPC DiagBase
- SIMATIC IPC DiagMonitor
- SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Advanced
- SIPLUS TIM 1531 IRC
- TIM 1531 IRC
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete device crash requiring physical restart or reconfiguration, disrupting industrial operations.
Likely Case
Temporary denial of service requiring device reboot, causing operational downtime.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact if devices are isolated from untrusted networks and patched.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending crafted HTTP requests to web interface. No authentication needed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: V3.5.20 for CP devices, V2.4.8 for TIM devices
Vendor Advisory: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-423808.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download firmware updates from Siemens Industrial Security. 2. Apply updates following Siemens documentation. 3. Reboot affected devices. 4. Verify web server functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable web server
allTurn off web server functionality if not required for operations.
Configure via device management interface or TIA Portal
Network segmentation
allIsolate affected devices in separate VLANs with strict firewall rules.
Configure firewall to block external access to port 80/443 on affected devices
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit web server exposure to trusted sources only.
- Monitor device availability and implement redundancy for critical systems.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check device firmware version via web interface or TIA Portal against affected versions list.Check Version:
Access device web interface or use Siemens TIA Portal to check firmware version.Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm firmware version is V3.5.20 or higher for CP devices, V2.4.8 or higher for TIM devices.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Web server crash logs
- Watchdog timeout events
- Device reboot events
Network Indicators:
- Unusual HTTP requests to device web interfaces
- Sudden loss of device connectivity
SIEM Query:
source="industrial_device" AND (event="watchdog_timeout" OR event="web_server_crash")