CVE-2023-5246
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authentication on SICK Flexi Soft Gateways by capturing and replaying authentication data. Attackers can potentially compromise availability, integrity, and confidentiality of affected gateways. Organizations using SICK Flexi Soft Gateways with specific part numbers are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- SICK Flexi Soft Gateways
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise allowing attackers to manipulate industrial processes, steal sensitive data, or disrupt operations.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to gateway configuration and control functions, potentially leading to operational disruption.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if gateways are isolated in protected networks with strict access controls.
🎯 Exploit Status
Capture-replay attacks typically require network access to intercept authentication traffic.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check vendor advisory for specific firmware versions
Vendor Advisory: https://sick.com/psirt
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check affected part numbers. 2. Download latest firmware from SICK support portal. 3. Apply firmware update following vendor documentation. 4. Restart gateway.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate gateways in protected network segments with strict access controls.
Access Control Lists
allImplement strict network ACLs to limit access to gateway management interfaces.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Segment gateways in isolated VLANs with no internet access
- Implement strict firewall rules allowing only trusted IPs to access gateway interfaces
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check gateway part number against affected list and verify firmware version.Check Version:
Check via SICK Flexi Soft configuration interface or consult device documentation.Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm firmware version matches patched version from vendor advisory.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful access
- Authentication from unexpected IP addresses
Network Indicators:
- Repeated authentication packets from same source
- Unusual traffic patterns to gateway management ports
SIEM Query:
source_ip=gateway AND (event_type=auth AND result=success) FROM suspicious_ip