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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2023-52806 Siemens CVE debrief

A null pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ALSA HDA (High Definition Audio) subsystem could allow an attacker to cause a denial of service condition. The vulnerability occurs when assigning a stream, where a null pointer may be dereferenced without proper validation. Siemens has identified this vulnerability as affecting certain industrial networking products running SINEC OS, including the RUGGEDCOM RST2428P and SCALANCE X family switches. The vulnerability was originally resolved in the upstream Linux kernel, and Siemens has incorporated this fix into affected product lines. CISA published this advisory on August 12, 2025, with subsequent updates through February 25, 2026, to refine affected product listings and remove rejected CVEs from related advisories.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
RUGGEDCOM RST2428P (6GK6242-6PA00)
CVSS
Unknown
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2025-08-12
Original CVE updated
2026-02-25
Advisory published
2025-08-12
Advisory updated
2026-02-25

Who should care

Organizations operating Siemens SCALANCE X family switches or RUGGEDCOM RST2428P devices in industrial environments should prioritize patching. System administrators responsible for OT/ICS network infrastructure, particularly those in critical manufacturing, energy, and transportation sectors, should review their asset inventory against the affected product list. Security teams monitoring industrial control systems for availability risks should track this vulnerability given its potential for denial of service impact on network infrastructure components.

Technical summary

The vulnerability exists in the ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) HDA (High Definition Audio) driver within the Linux kernel. Specifically, when assigning a stream, the code may dereference a null pointer without adequate validation checks. This class of vulnerability typically results in kernel crashes or undefined behavior, leading to denial of service conditions. The fix involves adding proper null pointer checks before stream assignment operations. Siemens industrial networking products utilizing SINEC OS incorporate the Linux kernel and are affected if running vulnerable kernel versions. The upstream kernel fix has been backported to supported Siemens product lines.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Review Siemens ProductCERT advisory SSA-613116 for detailed patch information and affected product versions
  • Apply vendor-provided firmware updates for affected SCALANCE and RUGGEDCOM devices
  • Verify SINEC OS version is current; note that versions below 3.1 are no longer supported for SCALANCE XC-300/XR-300/XC-400/XR-500WG/XR-500 family
  • Implement network segmentation for industrial control systems per CISA recommended practices
  • Monitor CISA ICS advisories for additional updates to this vulnerability

Evidence notes

The vulnerability description indicates a null pointer dereference in ALSA HDA stream assignment. The source advisory (ICSA-25-226-15) marks impact as 'Misinformed' for affected products, suggesting potential for information disclosure or incorrect system behavior. The advisory underwent four revision cycles, with the most significant update on February 25, 2026, republishing based on Siemens ProductCERT SSA-613116.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2023-52806 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-52806

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

  • CVE-2023-52806 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-52806

    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/2025/icsa-25-226-15.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-613116.json

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-613116.html

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-25-226-15

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/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://www.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.