CVE-2020-8475 : What You Need to Know

CVE-2020-8475 relates to a Denial of Service Vulnerability in the ABB Central Licensing System.

Understanding CVE-2020-8475

This CVE identifies a weakness in input validation that can be exploited to disrupt license handling in various ABB products.

What is CVE-2020-8475?

The vulnerability allows attackers to block license handling by sending specially crafted messages to the CLS web service.

The Impact of CVE-2020-8475

The impact is rated as MEDIUM severity with a CVSS base score of 5.3. It affects multiple versions of ABB products, potentially leading to service disruption.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-8475

This section provides more in-depth technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a lack of proper input validation, enabling attackers to disrupt license handling by sending malicious messages.

Affected Systems and Versions

ABB Central Licensing System (version 5.1)
ABB Ability System 800xA (versions 5.1, 6.0, 6.1)
Compact HMI (versions 5.1, 6.0)
Control Builder Safe (versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0)
Symphony Plus S+ Operations (versions 3.0 to 3.2)
And more

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit the vulnerability by sending specially crafted messages to the CLS web service, causing a denial of service by blocking license handling.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2020-8475, follow these mitigation strategies:

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply vendor-supplied patches or updates promptly.
Implement network segmentation to limit exposure.
Monitor network traffic for suspicious activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to address vulnerabilities.
Conduct security assessments and penetration testing.
Educate users on safe computing practices.

Patching and Updates

ABB has released patches for affected products to address the vulnerability.