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CVE-2024-47194 Siemens CVE debrief

CVE-2024-47194 is a DLL search order hijacking vulnerability in Siemens ModelSim and Questa simulation tools. The vish2.exe executable loads a specific DLL from the current working directory, enabling authenticated local attackers to escalate privileges when administrators launch the application from user-writable directories. Published October 8, 2024, this medium-severity issue (CVSS 6.7) requires local access, low privileges, and user interaction, making it a targeted rather than opportunistic attack vector. The vulnerability is particularly relevant in shared development environments or CI/CD pipelines where simulation tools may be invoked from various directory contexts. Siemens has released updates in version 2024.3 that address this insecure library loading behavior.

Vendor
Siemens
Product
ModelSim
CVSS
MEDIUM 6.7
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2024-10-08
Original CVE updated
2025-05-06
Advisory published
2024-10-08
Advisory updated
2025-05-06

Who should care

Organizations using Siemens ModelSim or Questa for hardware design verification, particularly in multi-user development environments, shared workstations, or automated build systems where simulation tools may be invoked from various working directories

Technical summary

The vish2.exe component in Siemens ModelSim and Questa simulation environments follows unsafe DLL search order, loading a specific library from the current working directory before system paths. When the executable is launched from a directory writable by lower-privileged users, an attacker can place a malicious DLL to achieve code execution in the security context of the launching process. This requires the attacker to already have authenticated local access and depends on administrative users or elevated processes launching the tool from compromised locations. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) reflects high impact but constrained attack surface.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade Siemens ModelSim and Questa to version 2024.3 or later to obtain the vendor fix for insecure DLL loading
  • Harden application servers hosting simulation tools to prevent untrusted local access
  • Restrict execution of vish2.exe to protected, non-user-writable directories only
  • Audit and monitor for vish2.exe launches from user-writable paths in development environments
  • Review CI/CD pipeline configurations to ensure simulation tools execute from secured directories
  • Implement principle of least privilege for accounts running hardware simulation workflows

Evidence notes

Vulnerability description and remediation details sourced from CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-24-284-05 and Siemens security advisory SSA-426509. CVSS vector confirms local attack vector with high attack complexity. Vendor fix confirmed for V2024.3 and later.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2024-47194 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-47194

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

  • CVE-2024-47194 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-47194

    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-24-284-05.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/csaf/ssa-426509.json

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-426509.html

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-24-284-05

    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.