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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2024-26993 Siemens CVE debrief

A reference leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's sysfs subsystem, specifically within the `sysfs_break_active_protection()` function, has been resolved. This flaw could allow a local attacker to cause a denial of service condition. The vulnerability affects Siemens industrial networking products running SINEC OS, including the RUGGEDCOM RST2428P and SCALANCE X-family switches. Siemens has released updates to address this issue.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
RUGGEDCOM RST2428P (6GK6242-6PA00)
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
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 XC-300/XR-300/XC-400/XR-500WG/XR-500 family switches, SCALANCE XCM-/XRM-/XCH-/XRH-300 family devices, or RUGGEDCOM RST2428P switches in industrial control system environments. System administrators responsible for maintaining availability of critical infrastructure networks should prioritize this patch to prevent potential denial of service from local access exploitation.

Technical summary

The vulnerability exists in the `sysfs_break_active_protection()` function within the Linux kernel's sysfs filesystem implementation. A reference leak in this function could be exploited by a local attacker with low privileges to trigger a denial of service condition. The flaw has been resolved in the upstream Linux kernel. Siemens has incorporated this fix into SINEC OS V3.1 and later versions for affected industrial networking products. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM) reflects the local attack vector and high availability impact with no confidentiality or integrity compromise.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply vendor-provided updates to SINEC OS V3.1 or later for affected SCALANCE and RUGGEDCOM products
  • Review Siemens ProductCERT advisory SSA-613116 for detailed product-specific guidance
  • Implement network segmentation for industrial control systems per CISA recommended practices
  • Monitor for anomalous local access attempts on affected devices
  • Prioritize patching based on device exposure to untrusted local users

Evidence notes

The vulnerability was disclosed in CISA advisory ICSA-25-226-15, which republished Siemens ProductCERT advisory SSA-613116. The advisory was initially published on 2025-08-12 and most recently updated on 2026-02-25 to reflect corrections to affected products and removal of rejected CVEs. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) indicates local attack vector with low attack complexity, requiring low privileges, resulting in high availability impact with no confidentiality or integrity impact.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2024-26993 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-26993

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

  • CVE-2024-26993 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-26993

    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.