PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2022-30267 Emerson CVE debrief

CVE-2022-30267 is a HIGH severity vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) affecting Emerson Ovation industrial control systems, published 2024-06-06. The vulnerability stems from missing authentication of firmware signing and reliance on insecure checksums for integrity verification. This weakness enables attackers to push malicious firmware images, potentially causing denial-of-service conditions or achieving remote code execution on affected systems. The vulnerability specifically impacts Emerson Ovation versions up to and including 3.8.0 Feature Pack 1. The attack vector is network-accessible with low attack complexity and no privileges required, making it exploitable without user interaction. While the CVSS vector indicates no impact to confidentiality or integrity in the base score, the advisory notes remote code execution is possible, suggesting the vulnerability could enable more severe outcomes than the base availability-focused score implies.

Vendor: Emerson
Product: Emerson Ovation: <=3.8.0_Feature_Pack_1
CVSS: HIGH 7.5
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

Operators of Emerson Ovation distributed control systems in critical infrastructure sectors including power generation, water treatment, and manufacturing. Asset owners with Ovation deployments at or below version 3.8.0 Feature Pack 1 should prioritize assessment and remediation. Security teams responsible for OT/ICS network segmentation and firmware supply chain integrity should evaluate exposure. Organizations subject to NERC CIP or similar critical infrastructure regulations should review compliance implications of unauthenticated firmware updates.

Technical summary

The vulnerability exists in Emerson Ovation's firmware update mechanism, which fails to cryptographically authenticate firmware signatures and relies solely on insecure checksums for integrity validation. This design flaw allows attackers to craft and deploy malicious firmware images that pass integrity checks. Successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of controller functionality, persistent denial-of-service through firmware corruption, or remote code execution within the control system environment. The network-accessible nature of the attack vector combined with no authentication requirements makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous for internet-exposed or poorly segmented OT networks.

Defensive priority

HIGH

Recommended defensive actions

Upgrade to Ovation 3.8.0 Feature Pack 3 to remediate identified vulnerabilities
Consider deploying OCR3000 controllers which provide additional protection layers unavailable in older controller models
Implement Ovation system configuration per Cybersecurity for Ovation Systems manual (OVREF1000)
Contact Ovation-CERT at [email protected] or 1-800-445-9723 (option 3) for vulnerability impact assessment
Apply CISA ICS recommended practices for defense-in-depth security architecture
Segment Ovation control networks from enterprise and external networks to limit firmware update attack surface
Monitor for unauthorized firmware update attempts and validate checksums through out-of-band verification where possible

Evidence notes

Vulnerability details sourced from CISA CSAF advisory ICSA-24-158-02. Affected product confirmed as Emerson Ovation <=3.8.0_Feature_Pack_1. CVSS 3.1 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H confirms network-accessible, unauthenticated attack with high availability impact. Remediation guidance includes upgrade path to Ovation 3.8.0 Feature Pack 3 and migration to OCR3000 controllers for enhanced protection.

Official resources

2024-06-06