A beveiligingsonderzoeker has new leaks discovered in an industrial management system from Siemens that is used to automate processes. According to experts, this would possibly be via the internet can be used.
The researcher, Dillon Beresford, has been working with NSS Labs, showed during a demonstration at the Black Hat security conference how some of the found vulnerabilities could be exploited to an attack on the so-called Siemens Simatic Step 7 system.
The demo showed that it is possible to transfer data from the memory of the plc to read or to store, even if there is a password protection active. This is in theory possible to have distance information of the plc to read, commands to overwrite or passwords to be intercepted. It is also possible to fake output to generate, so that an operator not notice. An operator would also simply offside can be set by changing the password.
The NERC, which is responsible for ensuring the reliability of the electricity grid in North America, it would be as a result of the demonstration, now a warning is issued. Also ICS-CERT at the occasion of the presentation of the bell pulled, because Beresford a hard-coded password in the Siemens system has been cracked and revealed. This would be attackers can encourage in order to go in search of vulnerable Siemens systems. The Stuxnet worm, which last year came in the news, probably worked in a similar way.
Siemens would be working on a resolution. It is not known whether it was a whole new vulnerabilities, or it is the same security flaws that previously by Stuxnet were abused. Beresford in may this year, a presentation on this topic, but saw when, under pressure from Siemens and the U.s. government at the last moment.