CVE-2024-13957 Overview
CVE-2024-13957 is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability affecting ABB ASPECT-Enterprise, NEXUS Series, and MATRIX Series building management products. The flaw allows an authenticated administrator to coerce the affected device into issuing arbitrary server-side requests to internal or external endpoints. Exploitation requires compromised administrator credentials, which raises the barrier to attack but does not eliminate risk in environments where credential theft or reuse occurs. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery.
Critical Impact
An attacker with valid administrator credentials can pivot through the ASPECT device to reach internal network resources, disclose sensitive data, and interact with services normally unreachable from the internet.
Affected Products
- ABB ASPECT-Enterprise through version 3.*
- ABB NEXUS Series through version 3.*
- ABB MATRIX Series through version 3.*
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-22 - CVE-2024-13957 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-13957
Vulnerability Analysis
The SSRF flaw resides in ASPECT management functionality that accepts a URL or host parameter from an authenticated administrator and issues an outbound request without adequate destination validation. Because the request originates from the ASPECT device itself, it inherits the device's network position inside the operational technology (OT) or building automation network. An attacker can direct requests to internal HTTP services, cloud metadata endpoints, or other reachable protocols exposed by the underlying platform.
Successful exploitation results in high confidentiality impact to both the vulnerable component and downstream systems, according to the published CVSS 4.0 vector. Integrity impact is limited, and availability is not affected. The privileges-required rating is high, reflecting the requirement for administrator authentication.
Root Cause
The root cause is insufficient validation of user-controlled URLs or hostnames in administrative request handlers. The application forwards the supplied destination to an outbound HTTP client without an allow-list, DNS rebinding protection, or checks against internal IP address ranges such as 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16, and link-local ranges.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based. An adversary who obtains ASPECT administrator credentials through phishing, credential stuffing, or lateral movement authenticates to the management interface and submits a crafted request. The device then reaches out to the attacker-specified endpoint, returning response content, headers, or timing information that discloses internal topology.
No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently indexed in Exploit-DB, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the ABB Technical Document for vendor-specific technical detail.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-13957
Indicators of Compromise
- Outbound HTTP or HTTPS connections originating from ASPECT, NEXUS, or MATRIX devices to internal RFC1918 addresses that were not previously observed in baseline traffic.
- Requests from ASPECT devices to cloud metadata services such as 169.254.169.254 or to loopback ports on the device itself.
- Unusual administrator authentication events followed by short bursts of outbound requests to varied destinations.
Detection Strategies
- Baseline the expected outbound destinations for each ASPECT device and alert on deviations, particularly requests to internal management VLANs.
- Correlate administrator login activity with outbound network flows within a short time window to surface abuse of legitimate credentials.
- Inspect ASPECT application logs for administrative actions that supply URL or hostname parameters, and cross-reference against destination allow-lists.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward ASPECT authentication and audit logs to a central SIEM or data lake for correlation with network telemetry.
- Monitor for repeated failed administrator authentication attempts that may precede credential compromise.
- Track east-west traffic from building automation subnets to enterprise networks and flag policy violations.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-13957
Immediate Actions Required
- Rotate all ASPECT-Enterprise, NEXUS, and MATRIX administrator credentials and enforce unique, high-entropy passwords.
- Restrict management interface access to a dedicated jump host or bastion, and block direct administrator access from general-purpose user networks.
- Apply firewall egress rules that limit outbound traffic from ASPECT devices to only the destinations required for operation.
- Review recent administrator activity for unexpected URL or host parameters submitted through management endpoints.
Patch Information
ABB has published guidance for the affected ASPECT-Enterprise, NEXUS Series, and MATRIX Series products. Consult the ABB Technical Document for the recommended firmware version and upgrade instructions. Upgrade all instances running 3.* firmware to the vendor-fixed release.
Workarounds
- Isolate ASPECT devices on a dedicated management VLAN with strict ingress and egress access control lists.
- Deploy a reverse proxy in front of the management interface and enforce multi-factor authentication for administrator sessions.
- Disable or remove administrator accounts that are not required for daily operations to minimize the credential attack surface.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
