ICS Alert

WellinTech KingView User Credentials Not Securely Hashed

Last Revised
Alert Code
ICS-ALERT-12-212-02

Description

This alert describes a public report of default credential vulnerability affecting WellinTech KingView, which is a Windows-based control, monitoring, and data collection application.

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Summary

ICS-CERT is aware of a public report of default credential vulnerability affecting WellinTech KingView, which is a Windows-based control, monitoring, and data collection application. According to this report, this vulnerability is exploitable using an undocumented default user login.

ICS-CERT has notified the affected vendor of the report and has asked the vendor to confirm the vulnerability and identify mitigations. ICS-CERT is issuing this alert to provide early notice of the report and identify baseline mitigations for reducing risks to these and other cybersecurity attacks.

The report included vulnerability details and PoC exploit code for the following vulnerability:

Vulnerability Type Remotely Exploitable Impact
Insufficiently Protected Credentials No Unauthorized access

Dr. Wesley McGrew of Mississippi State University disclosed this vulnerability at the DEFCON 20 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 29, 2012. Dr. McGrew presented this information without prior coordination with either the vendor or ICS-CERT.

The WellinTech KingView product is deployed in multiple industries including power, water, building automation, and mining.

Please report any issues affecting control systems in critical infrastructure environments to ICS-CERT.

Followup

ICS-CERT released vulnerability details and mitigation recommendations in the follow-up advisory, ICSA-12-283-02 WellinTech KingView User Credentials Not Securely Hashed, on October 09, 2012.

Mitigations

Mitigation

ICS-CERT is currently coordinating with the vendor and security researcher to identify mitigations.

ICS-CERT recommends that users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities. Specifically, users should:

  • Minimize network exposure for all control system devices. Control system devices should not directly face the Internet.a
  • Locate control system networks and devices behind firewalls, and isolate them from the business network.
  • If remote access is required, employ secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing that a VPN is only as secure as the connected devices.

ICS-CERT reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to taking defensive measures.

The Control Systems Security Program (CSSP) also provides a recommended practices section for control systems on the US-CERT Web site. Several recommended practices are available for reading or download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.

Organizations that observe any suspected malicious activity should follow their established internal procedures and report their findings to ICS-CERT for tracking and correlation against other incidents.

This product is provided subject to this Notification and this Privacy & Use policy.

Vendor

WellinTech