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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2024-33498 Siemens CVE debrief

A memory management vulnerability in Siemens SIMATIC RTLS Locating Manager allows unauthenticated remote attackers to cause denial of service through memory exhaustion. The flaw exists because affected applications fail to properly release memory allocated when processing specially crafted incoming network packets. An attacker can exploit this by sending malicious packets to exhaust available memory, causing the service to crash. The service automatically restarts after a short period, but the vulnerability enables sustained denial of service conditions. The issue affects seven product variants of the RTLS Locating Manager. Siemens has released version V3.0.1.1 to address this vulnerability, available through Siemens Online Software Delivery (OSD). CISA published advisory ICSA-24-137-07 on May 14, 2024, with a revision on June 11, 2024 adding specific mitigation guidance for a related CVE.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
SIMATIC RTLS Locating Manager (6GT2780-0DA00)
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.3
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2024-05-14
Original CVE updated
2024-06-11
Advisory published
2024-05-14
Advisory updated
2024-06-11

Who should care

Organizations using Siemens SIMATIC RTLS Locating Manager for real-time locating systems in industrial environments, particularly those with externally accessible network infrastructure or multi-host deployments. Critical infrastructure operators in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare sectors relying on RTLS for asset tracking should prioritize patching.

Technical summary

The vulnerability stems from improper memory deallocation when handling malformed network packets in the RTLS Locating Manager service. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L/E:P/RL:O/RC:C) indicates network attack vector with low complexity, no privileges required, and low availability impact with proof-of-concept exploit status. The automatic service restart provides limited resilience but does not prevent repeated exploitation. Seven product variants across the 6GT2780-0DAxx and 6GT2780-1EAxx series are affected.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply vendor fix: Update SIMATIC RTLS Locating Manager to V3.0.1.1 or later via Siemens Online Software Delivery (OSD)
  • Implement network segmentation: Install required RTLS Locating Manager components on a single host computer where possible and restrict access to trusted personnel only
  • Configure host firewall: Secure the Windows Server hosting RTLS Locating Manager with firewall rules blocking port access from untrusted networks
  • Apply security hardening: Harden the Windows Server per corporate security policies or current hardening guidelines
  • Monitor for anomalies: Implement monitoring for unusual memory consumption patterns or service crashes that may indicate exploitation attempts

Evidence notes

CVE published 2024-05-14; CISA advisory ICSA-24-137-07 published same date. Advisory modified 2024-06-11 to add mitigation for CVE-2024-30207. Siemens SSA-093430 provides vendor fix details. CVSS 5.3 (MEDIUM) per source.

Official resources

2024-05-14