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CVE-2022-31676 Siemens CVE debrief

CVE-2022-31676 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in VMware Tools (versions 12.0.0, 11.x.y, and 10.x.y). A malicious actor with local non-administrative access to the Guest OS can escalate privileges to root in the virtual machine. This vulnerability was originally published in VMware's security advisory and subsequently incorporated into CISA's ICS advisory ICSA-24-102-04 for Siemens RUGGEDCOM APE1808 devices, which utilize VMware Tools as part of their virtualization stack. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.8 (HIGH) reflects significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with a local attack vector requiring low attack complexity and low privileges. The vulnerability is exploitable without user interaction. CISA's advisory was first published on April 9, 2024, and has undergone multiple revisions through May 13, 2025, to incorporate additional upstream vulnerabilities and remediation guidance. For affected RUGGEDCOM APE1808 devices configured with Palo Alto Networks Virtual NGFW, Siemens recommends upgrading to version V11.1.2-h3 and contacting customer support for patch information.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
RUGGEDCOM APE1808
CVSS
HIGH 7.8
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2024-04-09
Original CVE updated
2025-05-13
Advisory published
2024-04-09
Advisory updated
2025-05-13

Who should care

Organizations operating Siemens RUGGEDCOM APE1808 devices, particularly those configured with Palo Alto Networks Virtual NGFW, should prioritize remediation. Additionally, any organization running VMware Tools versions 12.0.0, 11.x.y, or 10.x.y in virtualized environments should assess exposure and apply vendor patches. Industrial control system operators and critical infrastructure defenders should review this advisory as part of broader virtualization security practices.

Technical summary

CVE-2022-31676 exists in VMware Tools versions 12.0.0, 11.x.y, and 10.x.y. The vulnerability allows a malicious actor with local non-administrative access to a Guest OS to escalate privileges to root within the virtual machine. The attack requires local access with low privileges, no user interaction, and has low attack complexity. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level. In the context of Siemens RUGGEDCOM APE1808, this vulnerability affects the device's virtualization layer. Remediation involves upgrading Palo Alto Networks Virtual NGFW to V11.1.2-h3 for affected configurations.

Defensive priority

HIGH

Recommended defensive actions

  • For Siemens RUGGEDCOM APE1808 devices configured with Palo Alto Networks Virtual NGFW, upgrade to version V11.1.2-h3 and contact Siemens customer support to obtain patch and update information.
  • Apply defense-in-depth strategies for industrial control systems, including network segmentation and least-privilege access controls to limit local access to Guest OS environments.
  • Monitor for anomalous privilege escalation activities within virtual machine Guest OS environments, particularly from non-administrative user accounts.
  • Review and apply CISA's ICS recommended practices for securing industrial control systems.
  • For VMware environments outside of the Siemens product context, consult VMware's official security advisory SSA-455250 for applicable patches and version guidance.

Evidence notes

The vulnerability description and affected product information are derived from CISA CSAF source ICSA-24-102-04. The remediation guidance for RUGGEDCOM APE1808 devices is explicitly stated in the source remediation field. CVSS vector confirms local attack vector with high impact on CIA triad.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2022-31676 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-31676

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2022-31676 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-31676

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

  • Source item URL

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/OT/white/2024/icsa-24-102-04.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-455250.json

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-455250.html

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-24-102-04

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/alerts/ICS-ALERT-10-301-01

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/ics-recommended-practices

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/industrial-control-systems

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://us-cert.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/recommended_practices/NCCIC_ICS-CERT_Defense_in_Depth_2016_S508C.pdf

    Reference

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.