PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2024-56728 Siemens CVE debrief

A missing error-pointer validation in the octeontx2-pf Ethernet driver (otx2_ethtool.c) allows a local attacker to trigger a denial-of-service condition. The flaw occurs when otx2_mbox_get_rsp() returns an error pointer that is subsequently dereferenced without checking, leading to a kernel crash. This vulnerability affects Siemens industrial networking products running SINEC OS, specifically the RUGGEDCOM RST2428P and select SCALANCE switch families. The issue was disclosed on 12 August 2025 and carries a medium severity rating with a CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5. Siemens has released firmware updates to address the vulnerability.

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 RUGGEDCOM RST2428P, SCALANCE XC-300/XR-300/XC-400/XR-500WG/XR-500, or SCALANCE XCM-/XRM-/XCH-/XRH-300 family switches in industrial control system environments. System administrators responsible for firmware lifecycle management in OT networks. Security teams monitoring for local privilege escalation or denial-of-service vectors in embedded Linux systems.

Technical summary

The octeontx2-pf driver in the Linux kernel fails to validate the return value of otx2_mbox_get_rsp() in otx2_ethtool.c. When this function returns an error pointer (ERR_PTR), subsequent code dereferences the pointer without checking for the error condition, resulting in a kernel oops or panic. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction, making it exploitable by authenticated users or processes on the affected system. The attack complexity is low and the primary impact is to availability (high severity), with no confidentiality or integrity impact. This driver-level vulnerability propagates to Siemens industrial networking products that incorporate the affected kernel code.

Defensive priority

medium

Recommended defensive actions

Apply vendor-provided firmware updates to V3.2 or later for affected RUGGEDCOM and SCALANCE products per Siemens ProductCERT guidance
Verify current firmware version on affected devices and prioritize updates for internet-facing or critical infrastructure deployments
Implement network segmentation and access controls to limit local attacker access to affected devices
Monitor for anomalous system behavior or unexpected reboots that may indicate exploitation attempts
Review CISA ICS recommended practices for defense-in-depth strategies applicable to industrial control systems

Evidence notes

The vulnerability description indicates a missing error check after calling otx2_mbox_get_rsp() in the octeontx2-pf driver. The CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) confirms local attack vector with low complexity and high availability impact. CISA advisory ICSA-25-226-07 and Siemens ProductCERT SSA-355557 provide authoritative vendor confirmation. The source revision history shows the advisory was initially published on 2025-08-12 and most recently updated on 2026-02-25 to reflect CISA republication based on Siemens advisory updates.

Official resources

2025-08-12