Siemens RUGGEDCOM APE1808

As of January 10, 2023, CISA will no longer be updating ICS security advisories for Siemens product vulnerabilities beyond the initial advisory. For the most up-to-date information on vulnerabilities in this advisory, please see Siemens' ProductCERT Security Advisories (CERT Services | Services | Siemens Global).

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• CVSS v4 7.5
• ATTENTION: Exploitable remotely/low attack complexity
• Vendor: Siemens
• Equipment: RUGGEDCOM APE1808
• Vulnerabilities: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

2. RISK EVALUATION

Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow an authenticated administrator to execute unauthorized arbitrary OS commands.

3. TECHNICAL DETAILS

3.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS

Siemens reports that the following products are affected:

• RUGGEDCOM APE1808: All versions

3.2 VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW

3.2.1 IMPROPER NEUTRALIZATION OF SPECIAL ELEMENTS USED IN AN OS COMMAND ('OS COMMAND INJECTION') CWE-78

An OS command injection vulnerability within the update functionality may allow an authenticated administrator to execute unauthorized arbitrary OS commands. Users with administrative privileges may upload update packages to upgrade the versions of Nozomi Networks Guardian and CMC. While these updates are signed and their signatures are validated prior to installation, an improper signature validation check has been identified. This issue could potentially enable users to execute commands remotely on the appliance, thereby impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

CVE-2024-13089 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

A CVSS v4 score has also been calculated for CVE-2024-13089. A base score of 7.5 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N).

3.2.2 EXECUTION WITH UNNECESSARY PRIVILEGES CWE-250

A privilege escalation vulnerability may enable a service account to elevate its privileges. The sudo rules configured for a local service account were excessively permissive, potentially allowing administrative access if a malicious actor could execute arbitrary commands as that account.

CVE-2024-13090 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.0 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

A CVSS v4 score has also been calculated for CVE-2024-13090. A base score of 7.3 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N).

3.3 BACKGROUND

• CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Critical Manufacturing
• COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide
• COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: Germany

3.4 RESEARCHER

Siemens reported these vulnerabilities to CISA.

4. MITIGATIONS

Siemens has identified the following specific workarounds and mitigations users can apply to reduce risk:

• RUGGEDCOM APE1808: Contact customer support to receive patch and update information
• (CVE-2024-13089) RUGGEDCOM APE1808: Only install update packages from trusted sources. Refer to the upstream advisory for further information.

As a general security measure, Siemens recommends protecting network access to devices with appropriate mechanisms. To operate the devices in a protected IT environment, Siemens recommends configuring the environment according to Siemens' operational guidelines for industrial security and following recommendations in the product manuals.

Additional information on industrial security by Siemens can be found on the Siemens industrial security webpage.

For more information see the associated Siemens security advisory SSA-978177 in HTML and CSAF.

CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities, such as:

• Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet.
• Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks.
• When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Recognize VPNs may have vulnerabilities, should be updated to the most recent version available, and are only as secure as the connected devices.

CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.

CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.

CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets.

Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.

Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents.

CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks:

• Do not click web links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages.
• Refer to Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams for more information on avoiding email scams.
• Refer to Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks.

No known public exploitation specifically targeting these vulnerabilities has been reported to CISA at this time.

5. UPDATE HISTORY

• August 14, 2025: Initial Republication of Siemens ProductCERT SSA-978177

• Siemens