CVE-2024-10575: EcoStruxure IT Gateway Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2024-10575 Overview

CVE-2024-10575 is a critical Missing Authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) affecting Schneider Electric EcoStruxure IT Gateway. This vulnerability enables unauthorized access when the affected system is enabled on the network, potentially impacting all connected devices within the infrastructure. The absence of proper authorization controls allows unauthenticated attackers to interact with the gateway without any credential validation.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can gain unauthorized access to network-enabled EcoStruxure IT Gateway instances, potentially compromising the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of connected critical infrastructure systems.

Affected Products

• Schneider Electric EcoStruxure IT Gateway version 1.21.0.6
• Schneider Electric EcoStruxure IT Gateway version 1.22.0.3
• Schneider Electric EcoStruxure IT Gateway version 1.22.1.5
• Schneider Electric EcoStruxure IT Gateway version 1.23.0.4

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-11-13 - CVE-2024-10575 published to NVD
• 2024-11-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-10575

Vulnerability Analysis

This Missing Authorization vulnerability occurs when the EcoStruxure IT Gateway fails to verify whether a user or system has the appropriate permissions before granting access to protected resources or functionality. In industrial control system (ICS) and data center infrastructure management (DCIM) environments where EcoStruxure IT Gateway is deployed, this flaw is particularly dangerous as it can expose critical operational technology (OT) systems to unauthorized manipulation.

The vulnerability allows network-based attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms entirely, enabling them to access administrative functions, retrieve sensitive configuration data, or manipulate connected devices without presenting valid credentials. Given the gateway's role in managing IT infrastructure monitoring and data center assets, successful exploitation could lead to widespread operational disruption.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-10575 is the absence of proper authorization checks within the EcoStruxure IT Gateway application. When processing incoming requests, the gateway fails to validate whether the requesting entity has the necessary privileges to perform the requested action. This design flaw means that any network-accessible request can potentially interact with protected functionality, regardless of authentication status.

The CWE-862 classification indicates that the software does not perform authorization checks when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. This represents a fundamental security control failure rather than a bypass of an existing mechanism.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no authentication, user interaction, or special privileges. An attacker with network access to a vulnerable EcoStruxure IT Gateway instance can directly exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted requests to the gateway's network interfaces.

The exploitation process involves:

1. Identifying a network-accessible EcoStruxure IT Gateway instance running a vulnerable version
2. Sending requests to protected endpoints or functionality without authentication credentials
3. The gateway processes these requests without verifying authorization, granting unauthorized access
4. The attacker can then view sensitive data, modify configurations, or interact with connected devices

Due to the missing authorization checks, no sophisticated exploitation techniques or special payloads are required—the vulnerability manifests simply through normal interaction with the gateway's network services without authentication.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-10575

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected network connections to EcoStruxure IT Gateway administrative interfaces from unknown or untrusted IP addresses
• Access logs showing successful requests without corresponding authentication events
• Configuration changes or data access patterns occurring outside of normal maintenance windows
• Anomalous API calls or web requests to the gateway that lack valid session tokens or credentials

Detection Strategies

• Implement network monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts to EcoStruxure IT Gateway services on expected ports
• Review authentication logs for gaps between access events and corresponding login records
• Deploy intrusion detection rules to identify requests to the gateway that lack proper authentication headers
• Monitor for unusual data exfiltration patterns or configuration retrieval from the gateway

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed access logging on all EcoStruxure IT Gateway instances and forward logs to a centralized SIEM
• Establish baseline network communication patterns and alert on deviations targeting gateway services
• Implement real-time alerting for any unauthenticated access to administrative functions
• Regularly audit gateway access logs and correlate with authentication system records

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-10575

Immediate Actions Required

• Identify all EcoStruxure IT Gateway instances running affected versions (1.21.0.6, 1.22.0.3, 1.22.1.5, 1.23.0.4) in your environment
• Apply network segmentation to isolate vulnerable gateways from untrusted network segments immediately
• Review access logs for any signs of unauthorized access prior to remediation
• Consult the Schneider Electric Security Advisory SEVD-2024-317-04 for vendor-specific remediation guidance

Patch Information

Schneider Electric has released a security advisory addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the official Schneider Electric Security Advisory SEVD-2024-317-04 for detailed patch information and updated software versions that remediate CVE-2024-10575. It is critical to apply vendor-supplied patches as soon as they become available given the critical severity of this vulnerability.

Workarounds

• Restrict network access to EcoStruxure IT Gateway instances using firewall rules to allow only trusted management IP addresses
• Implement VPN or jump server requirements for all administrative access to the gateway
• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) or network access control solution to enforce authentication at the network perimeter
• Consider temporarily disabling network access to vulnerable gateways until patches can be applied if operationally feasible

# Example firewall rule to restrict access to EcoStruxure IT Gateway
# Allow only trusted management network (adjust IP ranges as needed)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s 10.0.0.0/24 --dport 443 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP