CVE-2024-3493
📋 TL;DR
A malformed fragmented packet can cause a major nonrecoverable fault in Rockwell Automation industrial controllers, rendering them unavailable and requiring manual restart. This affects ControlLogix 5580, GuardLogix 5580, CompactLogix 5380, and 1756-EN4TR devices, potentially causing loss of view and control over connected industrial equipment.
💻 Affected Systems
- ControlLogix 5580
- GuardLogix 5580
- CompactLogix 5380
- 1756-EN4TR
📦 What is this software?
1756 En4tr Firmware by Rockwellautomation
Compact Guardlogix 5380 Firmware by Rockwellautomation
Compactlogix 5380 Firmware by Rockwellautomation
Compactlogix 5380 Process Firmware by Rockwellautomation
View all CVEs affecting Compactlogix 5380 Process Firmware →
Compactlogix 5480 Firmware by Rockwellautomation
Controllogix 5580 Firmware by Rockwellautomation
Controllogix 5580 Process Firmware by Rockwellautomation
View all CVEs affecting Controllogix 5580 Process Firmware →
Guardlogix 5580 Firmware by Rockwellautomation
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete loss of control over industrial processes, production downtime, safety system disruption, and potential physical damage to equipment.
Likely Case
Controller becomes unresponsive, requiring manual restart and causing temporary production interruption.
If Mitigated
Isolated controller failure with redundant systems maintaining operations while affected unit is restarted.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending malformed fragmented packets to the controller's network interface.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Refer to Rockwell Automation advisory SD1666 for specific firmware versions
Vendor Advisory: https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/support/advisory.SD1666.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Review Rockwell Automation advisory SD1666
2. Download appropriate firmware update from Rockwell support site
3. Schedule maintenance window for controller update
4. Backup controller configuration
5. Apply firmware update following Rockwell documentation
6. Restart controller
7. Verify proper operation
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate controllers from untrusted networks and implement strict firewall rules
Traffic Filtering
allConfigure network devices to drop or inspect fragmented packets
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate controllers from potential attack sources
- Deploy industrial intrusion detection systems to monitor for malformed packet patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check controller firmware version against patched versions listed in Rockwell advisory SD1666Check Version:
Use Rockwell Automation programming software (Studio 5000 Logix Designer) to read controller properties and firmware versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version has been updated to patched version and controller remains operational during normal fragmented packet traffic📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Controller fault logs showing major nonrecoverable faults
- Network device logs showing malformed packet drops
Network Indicators:
- Unusual fragmented packet patterns directed at controller IPs
- Sudden loss of controller network communication
SIEM Query:
source="industrial_controller" AND (event_type="major_fault" OR event_type="mnrf")