CVE-2020-10280: MiR100 Firmware DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2020-10280 Overview

CVE-2020-10280 is a Denial of Service (DoS) vulnerability affecting the Apache web server on port 80 that hosts the management dashboard interface for multiple industrial robot platforms. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to block access to the robot's web-based dashboard by sending a flood of incomplete HTTP headers to the server, causing resource exhaustion and effectively making the management interface unavailable.

This vulnerability affects a wide range of autonomous mobile robots from multiple manufacturers, including Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), EasyRobotics, and UVD Robots. These robots are commonly deployed in industrial, logistics, and healthcare environments, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for operational technology (OT) environments.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can completely disable web-based management capabilities of industrial robots by flooding the Apache server with incomplete HTTP headers, potentially disrupting critical warehouse, manufacturing, and healthcare automation operations.

Affected Products

• Mobile Industrial Robots MiR100 (Firmware)
• Mobile Industrial Robots MiR200 (Firmware)
• Mobile Industrial Robots MiR250 (Firmware)
• Mobile Industrial Robots MiR500 (Firmware)
• Mobile Industrial Robots MiR1000 (Firmware)
• EasyRobotics ER200 (Firmware)
• EasyRobotics ER-Lite (Firmware)
• EasyRobotics ER-Flex (Firmware)
• EasyRobotics ER-One (Firmware)
• UVD Robots UVD (Firmware)

Discovery Timeline

• June 24, 2020 - CVE-2020-10280 published to NVD
• November 21, 2024 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2020-10280

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability exploits weaknesses in how the Apache web server handles HTTP header processing (CWE-239: Failure to Handle Incomplete Element and CWE-404: Improper Resource Shutdown or Release). When incomplete HTTP headers are sent to the server, resources are allocated to process and hold the connection open while waiting for the complete request. By continuously sending partial headers without completing the HTTP request, an attacker can exhaust available connection slots and server resources.

The attack targets the web management interface that operators use to configure, monitor, and control the autonomous mobile robots. Since these robots are designed for autonomous operation in industrial environments, losing access to the management dashboard can significantly impact operational visibility and the ability to respond to robot issues in real-time.

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction, making it accessible to any attacker with network visibility to the robot's web interface.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in improper resource handling within the Apache server configuration deployed on these robot platforms. The server fails to implement adequate timeout mechanisms and connection limits for incomplete HTTP requests. When partial HTTP headers are received, the server allocates resources and maintains the connection while waiting for the remainder of the request data, without properly releasing these resources when requests remain incomplete for extended periods.

This is a classic Slowloris-style attack vector where the server's connection pool becomes exhausted through sustained incomplete request flooding.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by establishing multiple TCP connections to port 80 on the target robot and sending HTTP requests with incomplete headers. By keeping numerous partial connections open and periodically sending additional partial data to prevent server-side timeouts, the attacker can consume all available connection resources.

The attack is particularly effective because:

• No authentication is required to initiate HTTP connections
• The web interface listens on the standard HTTP port (80)
• Industrial environments often lack sophisticated network security controls between robot networks and other internal segments

The vulnerability mechanism involves sending HTTP request headers that are never completed. For example, an attacker initiates a connection and sends a partial GET request with headers, but never sends the final blank line that would complete the HTTP header section. The server keeps the connection open waiting for more data, and by repeating this across many connections, the server becomes unresponsive to legitimate management requests.

Detection Methods for CVE-2020-10280

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusually high number of half-open or incomplete HTTP connections to port 80 on affected robot systems
• Web dashboard becoming unresponsive or timing out while the robot itself remains operational
• Apache access logs showing numerous connections without corresponding completed requests
• Network monitoring showing sustained low-bandwidth connections from single or multiple sources to robot management interfaces

Detection Strategies

• Monitor connection states on robot web interfaces for abnormal numbers of ESTABLISHED or SYN_RECV connections without corresponding completed HTTP transactions
• Implement network-based intrusion detection rules to identify Slowloris-style attack patterns targeting robot management interfaces
• Configure alerts for web dashboard availability issues that coincide with elevated connection counts
• Review Apache server logs for patterns of incomplete requests or connection timeouts from specific source IPs

Monitoring Recommendations

• Deploy network monitoring tools to track connection metrics on industrial robot management interfaces
• Establish baseline metrics for normal dashboard access patterns and alert on significant deviations
• Implement periodic health checks that verify web dashboard responsiveness and alert operators when thresholds are exceeded
• Segment robot management networks and monitor for unauthorized access attempts from untrusted network segments

How to Mitigate CVE-2020-10280

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the robot web management interface (port 80) to authorized management workstations only using firewall rules or network segmentation
• Place affected robots behind a reverse proxy or load balancer with connection limiting and timeout enforcement capabilities
• Monitor robot management interfaces for signs of DoS attempts and implement rate limiting at the network level
• Consider temporarily disabling the web interface if not actively required and using alternative management methods

Patch Information

Consult with Mobile Industrial Robots, EasyRobotics, and UVD Robots for firmware updates that address this vulnerability. Check the Robot Vulnerability Database (RVD) Issue #2568 for additional technical details and potential remediation guidance from the security research community.

Organizations should coordinate with their robot vendors to determine if patched firmware versions are available and schedule updates during planned maintenance windows to minimize operational disruption.

Workarounds

• Implement network-level access controls to restrict who can reach the robot's web interface on port 80
• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) or reverse proxy in front of robot management interfaces with connection timeout and request completion requirements
• Configure Apache mod_reqtimeout module (if available on the platform) to enforce header completion timeouts
• Use VPN or jump host architectures to limit direct network exposure of robot management interfaces
• Monitor for and block source IPs exhibiting Slowloris attack patterns

# Example iptables rules to limit connections to robot web interface
# Adjust IP addresses to match your authorized management network

# Limit new connections per source IP to prevent flooding
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -m connlimit --connlimit-above 10 -j DROP

# Allow only authorized management subnet to access web interface
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 192.168.1.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP