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CVE-2023-46280 Siemens CVE debrief

CVE-2023-46280 is a medium-severity out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Siemens SINEC NMS that can trigger a Windows kernel Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Published on November 12, 2024, this local attack vector requires low privileges and no user interaction, with availability impact rated high per CVSS 3.1 scoring. The vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking during memory read operations in the affected network management software. Exploitation could cause system crashes, potentially disrupting industrial control system operations where SINEC NMS is deployed for network monitoring and management. Siemens has released version 3.0 SP1 as a remediation. The attack complexity is low and the scope is changed, indicating impact beyond the vulnerable component to the underlying Windows kernel. While not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, organizations should prioritize patching given the potential for operational technology disruption.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
Security Configuration Tool (SCT)
CVSS
MEDIUM 6.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2024-05-14
Original CVE updated
2024-12-10
Advisory published
2024-05-14
Advisory updated
2024-12-10

Who should care

Organizations operating Siemens SINEC NMS for industrial network management, particularly in critical infrastructure sectors. System administrators responsible for OT/ICS environments. Security teams monitoring for local privilege escalation and denial-of-service conditions in Windows-based industrial systems.

Technical summary

Out-of-bounds read in Siemens SINEC NMS allows local attackers with low privileges to crash the Windows kernel via BSOD. CVSS 3.1: 6.5 (MEDIUM). Attack vector: local, complexity: low, privileges: low, user interaction: none. Scope changed due to kernel impact. Remediated in V3.0 SP1.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply Siemens SINEC NMS update to version 3.0 SP1 or later to remediate the out-of-bounds read vulnerability
  • Restrict local access to SINEC NMS systems to authorized personnel only, following principle of least privilege
  • Monitor Windows systems running SINEC NMS for unexpected crashes or BSOD events that may indicate exploitation attempts
  • Implement network segmentation for industrial control systems per CISA ICS recommended practices
  • Review and update incident response procedures to address potential operational disruptions from system crashes

Evidence notes

Vulnerability details sourced from CISA ICS advisory ICSA-24-319-04 and Siemens security advisory SSA-331112. CVSS vector confirms local attack vector with low attack complexity and high availability impact. Remediation guidance specifies update to SINEC NMS V3.0 SP1 or later.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2023-46280 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46280

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

  • CVE-2023-46280 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46280

    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-24-137-13.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-962515.json

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-962515.html

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-24-137-13

    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.