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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2024-41938 Siemens CVE debrief

A path traversal vulnerability in the importCertificate function of the SINEC NMS Control web application allows authenticated attackers to delete arbitrary certificate files on the installation drive. The vulnerability was published on August 13, 2024, with a CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 (Medium severity). Authentication is required for exploitation, limiting the attack surface to users with valid credentials. The vulnerability specifically affects certificate file operations through improper path validation during certificate import operations.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
SINEC NMS
CVSS
MEDIUM 5.5
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2024-08-13
Original CVE updated
2024-08-13
Advisory published
2024-08-13
Advisory updated
2024-08-13

Who should care

Organizations operating Siemens SINEC NMS for industrial network management, particularly those relying on certificate-based authentication and encryption for operational technology environments. Security teams responsible for industrial control system infrastructure and certificate lifecycle management should prioritize this update to prevent potential service disruption from certificate deletion.

Technical summary

The importCertificate function in SINEC NMS Control fails to properly validate file paths, enabling authenticated users to traverse directory structures and delete arbitrary certificate files on the host system. The vulnerability requires high privileges (PR:H) but is exploitable over the network with low attack complexity (AC:L). Scope change (S:C) indicates impact beyond the vulnerable component. The CVSS environmental score modifiers show proof-of-concept exploit availability (E:P), official fix available (RL:O), and confirmed report credibility (RC:C). Remediation is available through vendor update to version 3.0 or later.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply vendor fix by updating SINEC NMS to version 3.0 or later
  • Restrict network access to SINEC NMS Control web application to authorized administrative hosts only
  • Monitor for unauthorized certificate file deletion operations on SINEC NMS installation directories
  • Implement defense-in-depth strategies for industrial control systems per CISA guidance
  • Review and validate certificate management procedures to ensure proper access controls

Evidence notes

Vulnerability description and remediation guidance sourced from CISA ICS advisory ICSA-24-228-06 and Siemens security advisory SSA-784301. CVSS vector indicates network attack vector with low attack complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and scope change with low impact to integrity and availability.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2024-41938 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-41938

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

  • CVE-2024-41938 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-41938

    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-24-228-06.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-784301.json

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-784301.html

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-24-228-06

    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.