GE Reason S20 Ethernet Switch

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• CVSS v3 6.1
• ATTENTION: Exploitable remotely/low skill level to exploit
• Vendor: General Electric
• Equipment: Reason S20 Ethernet Switch
• Vulnerabilities: Cross-site Scripting

2. RISK EVALUATION

Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow unauthorized accounts manipulation and allow for remote code execution.

3. TECHNICAL DETAILS

3.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS

The following versions of Reason S20 managed Ethernet switches are affected:

• S2020, All firmware versions prior to 07A06
• S2024, All firmware versions prior to 07A06

3.2 VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW

3.2.1    IMPROPER NEUTRALIZATION OF INPUT DURING WEB PAGE GENERATION ('CROSS-SITE SCRIPTING') CWE-79

The affected product is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS), which may allow an attacker to trick application users into performing critical application actions that include, but are not limited to, adding and updating accounts.

CVE-2020-16242 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 6.1 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N).

3.2.2    IMPROPER NEUTRALIZATION OF INPUT DURING WEB PAGE GENERATION ('CROSS-SITE SCRIPTING') CWE-79

The affected product is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS), which may allow attackers to trick users into following a link or navigating to a page that posts a malicious JavaScript statement to the vulnerable site, causing the malicious JavaScript to be rendered by the site and executed by the victim client.

CVE-2020-16246 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3 base score of 6.1 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N).

3.3 BACKGROUND

• CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Energy
• COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide
• COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: United States

3.4 RESEARCHER

Daniel Martinez of IOActive reported this vulnerability to GE.

4. MITIGATIONS

GE recommends that S20 users upgrade to firmware Version 07A06 or higher to fix this vulnerability.  Instructions on how to upgrade the firmware and verify its installation are available in the product user’s manual.  Upgrading can be done by downloading the upgrade file directly from the GE website.

CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of this vulnerability. Specifically, users should:

• Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, and ensure that they are not accessible from the Internet.
• Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls, and isolate them from the business network.
• When remote access is required, use secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing that VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize that VPN is 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 us-cert.gov. Several recommended practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.

Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage on us-cert.gov in the Technical Information Paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.



Organizations observing any suspected malicious activity should follow their established internal procedures and report their 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 unsolicited attachments in 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 exploits specifically target these vulnerabilities.