CVE-2024-9877 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in ABB's ANC product line, including ANC, ANC-L, and ANC-mini versions up to 1.1.4. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-598, which pertains to the use of the GET request method with sensitive query strings. Specifically, the affected ABB ANC products improperly transmit sensitive information via HTTP GET requests, embedding confidential data within the URL query parameters. This practice exposes sensitive data to potential interception or leakage through various vectors such as browser history, server logs, network monitoring, or referer headers. The vulnerability does not require authentication, user interaction, or privileges to exploit, and it can be triggered remotely over an authenticated network connection (AV:A - adjacent network). The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.3, reflecting a medium impact primarily due to the confidentiality loss (VC:L) while integrity and availability remain unaffected. The vulnerability scope is local to the affected product, with no indication of privilege escalation or broader system compromise. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been published yet. The issue arises from insecure design choices in handling sensitive data transmission, which could lead to unintended data disclosure if an attacker can monitor network traffic or access logs containing URLs with sensitive query strings.

For European organizations using ABB ANC products, this vulnerability poses a risk of sensitive information leakage, which could include credentials, configuration parameters, or operational data depending on the query string content. Such leakage can undermine confidentiality and potentially facilitate further attacks such as unauthorized access or reconnaissance. Given ABB's prominence in industrial automation and critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, manufacturing, and utilities, exposure of sensitive data could disrupt operational security and compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR. However, the vulnerability does not directly impact system integrity or availability, limiting the scope of operational disruption. The risk is heightened in environments where network traffic is accessible to unauthorized parties, such as shared or poorly segmented networks. European organizations with ABB ANC deployments in critical infrastructure or industrial control systems (ICS) are particularly at risk, as attackers could leverage leaked information to plan more sophisticated attacks targeting operational technology (OT) environments.

To mitigate CVE-2024-9877, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Immediately audit ABB ANC deployments to identify usage of GET requests transmitting sensitive data and assess exposure risk. 2) Where possible, configure the application or intermediary proxies to enforce the use of POST requests or other secure methods for transmitting sensitive information, avoiding inclusion in URL query strings. 3) Implement network segmentation and strict access controls to limit exposure of network traffic containing sensitive URLs to trusted personnel and systems only. 4) Enable encrypted communication channels (e.g., HTTPS/TLS) to protect data in transit from interception. 5) Review and sanitize logs and monitoring systems to avoid storing sensitive query strings in plaintext. 6) Monitor ABB vendor communications for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and plan prompt deployment once available. 7) Conduct user and administrator training to raise awareness about the risks of sensitive data exposure via URLs and encourage secure handling practices. 8) Employ intrusion detection systems (IDS) tuned to detect anomalous GET requests or suspicious URL patterns related to ABB ANC traffic. These targeted steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on configuration, network controls, and operational hygiene specific to the nature of this vulnerability and the ABB ANC product context.