CVE-2023-52237 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting a broad range of Siemens RUGGEDCOM devices, including models i800, i801, i802, i803, M2100, M2200, M969, RMC30, RMC8388, RP110, RS1600 series, RS400 series, RS416 series, RS8000 series, RS900 series, RS910 series, RS920 series, RS930 series, RS940G, RS969, RSG2100 series, RSG2200 series, RSG2288 series, RSG2300 series, RSG2488 series, RSG907R, RSG908C, RSG909R, RSG910C, RSG920P series, RSL910, RST2228 series, and RST916 series. These devices are industrial-grade ruggedized network components commonly deployed in critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, transportation, and industrial automation. The vulnerability arises from the embedded web server on these devices allowing a low-privileged user to access sensitive authentication data, specifically password hashes and salts for all system users, including administrative accounts. This exposure constitutes a CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) weakness. An attacker with network access to the device’s web interface can retrieve these hashes and salts without requiring elevated privileges or user interaction. With this data, an attacker can perform offline brute-force or dictionary attacks to recover plaintext passwords, potentially escalating privileges or gaining persistent unauthorized access. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5 (High), reflecting network attack vector, high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, low privileges required, and no user interaction needed. The attack complexity is high due to the need for offline cracking, but the scope remains unchanged as the vulnerability affects only the vulnerable device. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the potential for impactful attacks on critical infrastructure is significant given the nature of the devices affected.

For European organizations, especially those operating critical infrastructure such as power grids, transportation networks, and industrial control systems, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk. Siemens RUGGEDCOM devices are widely used in Europe for their robustness in harsh environments and are integral to operational technology (OT) networks. Unauthorized access to password hashes can lead to credential compromise, enabling attackers to gain administrative control over network devices. This can result in disruption of services, manipulation of control commands, data exfiltration, or persistent backdoors within critical systems. The exposure threatens confidentiality by revealing sensitive credentials, integrity by allowing unauthorized configuration changes, and availability by potentially enabling denial-of-service attacks. Given the interconnected nature of OT and IT networks in European industries, exploitation could cascade, impacting broader organizational operations and national infrastructure resilience. The high CVSS score underscores the urgency of addressing this vulnerability to prevent potential sabotage, espionage, or cyber-physical attacks.

1. Immediate network segmentation: Isolate RUGGEDCOM devices from general IT networks and restrict access to the web management interface to trusted administrative hosts only, using firewall rules and VLAN segmentation. 2. Implement strong access controls: Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible on management interfaces and limit user accounts to the minimum necessary privileges. 3. Monitor and log access: Enable detailed logging of web server access on RUGGEDCOM devices and implement real-time monitoring and alerting for suspicious activities, such as repeated access attempts to credential-related endpoints. 4. Password policy enforcement: Ensure all user passwords on affected devices are complex and changed regularly to reduce the risk of successful brute-force attacks on exposed hashes. 5. Offline password hash protection: If possible, apply additional encryption or obfuscation layers on stored password hashes on the device firmware or configuration. 6. Firmware updates: Although no patch links are currently provided, maintain close communication with Siemens for firmware updates or security advisories addressing this vulnerability and apply patches promptly once available. 7. Incident response readiness: Prepare for potential compromise scenarios by developing and testing incident response plans specific to OT environments, including device isolation and credential revocation procedures. 8. Vendor consultation: Engage Siemens support to assess device configurations and explore interim mitigation options or firmware workarounds to disable or restrict web server access to sensitive data.