PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2022-29966 Emerson CVE debrief

CVE-2022-29966 is a critical vulnerability in Emerson Ovation industrial control systems, published by CISA on June 6, 2024. The vulnerability stems from multiple protocols lacking authentication mechanisms, enabling unauthenticated remote attackers to modify controller configurations or induce denial-of-service conditions. The affected product is Emerson Ovation versions 3.8.0 Feature Pack 1 and earlier. This vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8 (Critical), reflecting network-based attack vector with low complexity, no privileges required, and high impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Vendor: Emerson
Product: Ovation
CVSS: CRITICAL 9.8
CISA KEV: Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published: 2024-06-06
Original CVE updated: 2024-06-06
Advisory published: 2024-06-06
Advisory updated: 2024-06-06

Who should care

Industrial control system operators in energy, water, and critical infrastructure sectors using Emerson Ovation DCS; OT security teams responsible for power generation and process control environments; asset owners with legacy Ovation deployments prior to Feature Pack 3

Technical summary

The Emerson Ovation distributed control system implements multiple communication protocols without authentication requirements. An unauthenticated attacker with network access to affected Ovation controllers can exploit these protocol weaknesses to modify controller configurations or disrupt operations through denial-of-service attacks. The vulnerability affects Ovation versions 3.8.0 Feature Pack 1 and earlier. Remediation requires upgrading to Feature Pack 3 and implementing defense-in-depth architecture with OCR3000 controllers where feasible.

Defensive priority

critical

Recommended defensive actions

Upgrade to Ovation 3.8.0 Feature Pack 3 to remediate identified vulnerabilities
Deploy OCR3000 controllers for enhanced protection unavailable in older controller models
Configure Ovation systems per Cybersecurity for Ovation Systems manual (OVREF1000)
Contact Ovation-CERT at [email protected] or 1-800-445-9723 (option 3) for impact assessment
Implement network segmentation to isolate Ovation control systems from untrusted networks
Apply defense-in-depth strategies per CISA ICS recommended practices

Evidence notes

Vulnerability description and remediation guidance sourced from CISA CSAF advisory ICSA-24-158-02. Affected product version confirmed as Ovation <=3.8.0_Feature_Pack_1. CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H validated against source.

Official resources

2024-06-06