CVE-2019-5166
An exploitable stack buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the iocheckd service “I/O-Check” functionality of WAGO PFC 200. A specially crafted XML cache file written to a specific location on the device can cause a stack buffer overflow, resulting in code execution. An attacker can send a specially crafted packet to trigger the parsing of this cache file.
WAGO PFC200 Firmware version 03.02.02(14)
https://www.wago.com/us/pfc200
8.8 - CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CWE-120 - Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input (‘Classic Buffer Overflow’)
The WAGO PFC200 Controller is one of WAGO’s programmable automation controllers that boasts high cybersecurity standards by including VPN, SSL and firewall software. WAGO controllers are used in many industries including automotive, rail, power engineering, manufacturing, and building management. The WAGO PFC200 Controller communicates via both standard and custom protocols.
The iocheckd service “I/O-Check” implements a custom configuration protocol used by WAGO controllers. The iocheckd service “I/O-Check” functionality of WAGO PFC 200 uses a file-backed cache to perform some network configuration functionality. The file used for the cache is stored at /tmp/iocheckCache.xml
which is globally writeable. During parsing of the iocheckCache.xml
file the DNS parameter can be used used to cause a buffer overflow. Since the attacker can control the data that is being copied onto the stack, this vulnerability results in code execution.
To exercise this vulnerability, the attacker must place the malicious XML file at /tmp/iocheckCache.xml
. All users have write access for /tmp
and can write this file. The vulnerability can be triggered by sending the BC_SaveParameter message which will cause the iocheckCache.xml
file to be parsed.
At 0x1e3f0 the extracted dns value from the xml file is used as an argument to /etc/config-tools/edit_dns_server add=add dns-server-nr=1 dns-server-name=<contents of dns node>
using sprintf()
. The destination buffer sp+0x8
is overflowed with the call to sprintf()
for any dns
values that are greater than 1024-len("/etc/config-tools/edit_dns_server add=add dns-server-nr=1 dns-server-name=")
in length. A dns
value of length 0x3b9
will cause the service to crash.
Below is the vulnerable code path for this buffer overflow:
.text:0001E478 MOV R0, cur_node
.text:0001E47C BL xmlNodeGetContent
.text:0001E480 MOV R1, R4
.text:0001E484 MOV R7, R0 ; R7 contains xml node contents
...
.text:0001EA78 MOV R1, R5 ; comparing to string `dns`
.text:0001EA7C LDR R0, [cur_node,#8]
.text:0001EA80 BL xmlStrcmp
.text:0001EA84 CMP R0, #0
.text:0001EA88 BNE loc_1EAB8
.text:0001EA8C ADD R10, R10, #1
.text:0001EA90 LDR R0, [SP,#0x868+var_850] ; array of pointers to dns entries on the heap
.text:0001EA94 MOV R3, R10,LSL#2
.text:0001EA98 STR R3, [SP,#0x868+ptr]
.text:0001EA9C MOV R1, R3 ; size
.text:0001EAA0 BL realloc ; allocate space for another dns pointer
.text:0001EAA4 LDR R3, [SP,#0x868+ptr]
.text:0001EAA8 ADD R3, R0, R3
.text:0001EAAC STR R0, [SP,#0x868+var_850]
.text:0001EAB0 STR R7, [R3,#-4] ; store pointer to xml node containing dns entry in array of pointers to dns entries
...
.text:0001E7AC LDR R3, [R4,#8]
.text:0001E7B0 ADD R5, R5, #1
.text:0001E7B4 CMP R3, #3 ;
.text:0001E7B8 BNE loc_1E7A0
.text:0001E7BC LDM R4, {R0,R1} ; R0 contains the pointer to dns entry string R1 contains value 1
.text:0001E7C0 MOV R2, R6 ; R6 contains string "add=add"
.text:0001E7C4 BL _callDnsTool
... ; Function _callDnsTool
.text:0001E3D0 PUSH {LR}
.text:0001E3D4 SUB SP, SP, #0x400
.text:0001E3D8 SUB SP, SP, #0xC
.text:0001E3DC MOV R3, R1 ; R1 now contains the value 1
.text:0001E3E0 MOV R1, #aEtcConfigTools_13 ; format string "/etc/config-tools/edit_dns_server %s dns-server-nr=%d dns-server-name=%s"
.text:0001E3E8 STR R0, [SP,#0x410+var_410] ; storing dns entry value on the stack. R2 contains string "add=add"
.text:0001E3EC ADD R0, SP, #0x410+var_408 ; destination buffer 1024 bytes in length
.text:0001E3F0 BL sprintf ; buffer is overflowed here
.text:0001E3F4 ADD R0, SP, #0x410+var_408
.text:0001E3F8 BL _callConfigTool
.text:0001E3FC ADD SP, SP, #0x400
.text:0001E400 ADD SP, SP, #0xC
.text:0001E404 POP {PC}
Thread 2 "iocheckd" received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
[Switching to Thread 18357.18368]
0x58585858 in ?? ()
(gdb) i r
r0 0xa 10
r1 0x0 0
r2 0x1 1
r3 0x0 0
r4 0xb5b00998 3048212888
r5 0x1 1
r6 0x227c8 141256
r7 0xb5b00a80 3048213120
r8 0xb5b00988 3048212872
r9 0x0 0
r10 0x1 1
r11 0x0 0
r12 0xa 10
sp 0xb64bb5b0 0xb64bb5b0
lr 0x1e3a4 123812
pc 0x58585858 0x58585858
cpsr 0x60070010 1611071504
fpscr 0x0 0
(gdb) bt
#0 0x58585858 in ?? ()
#1 0x0001e3a4 in ?? ()
Backtrace stopped: previous frame identical to this frame (corrupt stack?)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<settings>
<network>
<dns>OVERFLOW</dns>
</network>
</settings>
This vulnerability could be mitigated by disabling iocheckd caching
#Author : Kelly Leuschner, Cisco Talos
import argparse, socket
if __name__=="__main__":
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Disable iocheckd Caching on WAGO PFC200 via iocheckd:RC_WriteRegister")
parser.add_argument('ipAddr', help='ip address of PLC')
parser.add_argument('port', type = int, help='Service protocol port number (6626)')
args = parser.parse_args()
s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
s.connect((args.ipAddr, args.port))
print("Sending RC_WriteRegister message to disable iocheckd caching")
s.send(b'\x88\x12\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x0c\x00\x02\x04\x00\x00\x00\x00\n\x00\x0b\x00\x00\x00')
s.recv(1024)
s.close()
2019-12-05 - Vendor Disclosure
2020-01-28 - Talos discussion about vulnerabilities with Vendor; disclosure deadline extended
2020-03-09 - Public Release
Discovered by Kelly Leuschner of Cisco Talos