CVE-2024-14033: Hirschmann HiLCOS DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2024-14033 Overview

Hirschmann Industrial IT products contain a heap overflow vulnerability in the HiLCOS web interface that allows unauthenticated remote attackers to trigger a denial-of-service condition by sending specially crafted requests to the web interface. Attackers can exploit this heap overflow to crash the affected device and cause service disruption, particularly in configurations where the Public Spot functionality is enabled.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can crash industrial network devices by exploiting the heap overflow, causing significant service disruption in critical infrastructure environments.

Affected Products

• Hirschmann Industrial IT products running HiLCOS firmware
• Devices with the HiLCOS web interface enabled
• Configurations with Public Spot functionality enabled

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-02 - CVE CVE-2024-14033 published to NVD
• 2026-04-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-14033

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow). The flaw exists within the HiLCOS web interface component of Hirschmann Industrial IT products. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction.

The heap overflow occurs when the web interface processes specially crafted HTTP requests. Due to improper bounds checking, an attacker can supply malformed input that causes memory corruption on the heap, leading to a crash of the affected device. This is particularly concerning in industrial environments where device availability is critical for operational continuity.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper memory management in the HiLCOS web interface when handling incoming HTTP requests. The web interface fails to properly validate the size or content of certain input parameters before allocating or copying data to heap memory. This lack of boundary validation allows an attacker to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow condition.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation without authentication. An attacker can send specially crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable web interface to trigger the heap overflow condition. The vulnerability is particularly exploitable in deployments where the Public Spot functionality is enabled, as this exposes additional attack surface.

The attack does not require any user interaction or special privileges, making it trivially exploitable by any attacker who can reach the web interface over the network. In industrial environments, these devices may be accessible from internal networks or, in some misconfigured deployments, from the internet.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-14033

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected device reboots or crashes of Hirschmann Industrial IT equipment
• Anomalous HTTP traffic patterns targeting the HiLCOS web interface
• Memory-related errors in device logs preceding service disruption
• Repeated connection attempts to the web interface from unusual sources

Detection Strategies

• Monitor network traffic for malformed or oversized HTTP requests targeting Hirschmann devices
• Implement intrusion detection rules for heap overflow exploitation attempts against web interfaces
• Deploy network anomaly detection to identify unusual traffic patterns to industrial control devices
• Review device logs regularly for crash events or memory-related errors

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on affected Hirschmann devices to capture request details
• Configure SIEM alerts for device unavailability or repeated crash events
• Implement network segmentation monitoring to detect unauthorized access to industrial networks
• Establish baseline traffic patterns for web interface communications to identify anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-14033

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Belden Security Bulletin BSECV-2024-16 for vendor-specific guidance
• Disable the HiLCOS web interface if not required for operations
• Disable the Public Spot functionality if not essential to reduce attack surface
• Implement network segmentation to restrict access to affected devices
• Apply firmware updates as they become available from the vendor

Patch Information

Administrators should consult the Belden Security Bulletin BSECV-2024-16 for detailed patch information and firmware update instructions. Additional technical details are available in the SSD Advisory: Lancom LCOS Heap Overflow.

Workarounds

• Restrict network access to the HiLCOS web interface using firewall rules
• Place affected devices behind a VPN or jump server requiring authentication
• Disable the web interface entirely if device management can be performed through other means
• Implement strict network segmentation to isolate industrial control systems from untrusted networks

# Example firewall rule to restrict web interface access
# Allow only trusted management IP to access web interface
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 192.168.1.100 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s 192.168.1.100 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP