CVE-2024-23797: Siemens Tecnomatix Buffer Overflow Flaw

CVE-2024-23797 Overview

CVE-2024-23797 is a stack overflow vulnerability in Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. The flaw exists in the application's parser for Virtual Reality Modeling Language (WRL) files. Attackers can trigger the overflow by convincing a user to open a specially crafted WRL file. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process.

The vulnerability affects Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2201 versions prior to V2201.0012 and V2302 versions prior to V2302.0006. Siemens tracks this issue in advisory SSA-017796. The weakness maps to CWE-121 (Stack-based Buffer Overflow) and CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write).

Critical Impact
An attacker can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running Tecnomatix Plant Simulation by delivering a malicious WRL file.

Affected Products

Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2201 (all versions before V2201.0012)
Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 (all versions before V2302.0006)
WRL file parsing component within the affected releases

Discovery Timeline

2024-02-13 - CVE-2024-23797 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-23797

Vulnerability Analysis

The defect resides in the WRL file parser bundled with Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. WRL is a text-based format used to describe 3D scenes and geometry. When the parser processes attacker-controlled fields inside a malformed WRL file, it writes beyond the bounds of a fixed-size stack buffer. This overflow corrupts saved return addresses, frame pointers, and adjacent stack data.

Exploitation requires local access and user interaction. A user must open the crafted WRL file within the application. Because Plant Simulation runs with the user's privileges, code execution inherits those rights. Environments where engineers hold elevated local privileges face increased impact on integrity, confidentiality, and availability.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing or insufficient bounds validation while copying WRL-derived data into a stack buffer. The parser trusts length or delimiter information contained in the file. Refer to the Siemens Security Advisory SSA-017796 for vendor technical details.

Attack Vector

Attackers deliver the WRL file through phishing, shared engineering repositories, removable media, or supply chain injection into simulation projects. The victim opens the file in a vulnerable Plant Simulation version. The parser triggers the stack overflow and hands control to attacker-supplied data. No network exposure is required.

No public proof-of-concept exploit is available in ExploitDB, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-23797

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected PlantSimulation.exe crashes with access violation exceptions after opening a .wrl file
WRL files arriving from untrusted email, download, or removable media sources into engineering workstations
Child processes spawned by Plant Simulation that are inconsistent with normal simulation workflows, such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or rundll32.exe
Outbound network connections initiated by the Plant Simulation process shortly after file open events

Detection Strategies

Monitor process creation events where Plant Simulation is the parent and the child is a shell, scripting host, or LOLBin
Correlate Windows Error Reporting or crash dump generation involving the Plant Simulation binary with recent WRL file access
Hunt for WRL files with abnormally long string fields or malformed node definitions using file-content inspection

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) enforcement audit logs on engineering hosts
Ingest endpoint telemetry into a centralized data lake to correlate file open, process, and network activity around Plant Simulation
Alert on WRL files transferred through email gateways, web proxies, or file shares to Operational Technology (OT) engineering endpoints

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-23797

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2201 to V2201.0012 or later
Upgrade Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 to V2302.0006 or later
Instruct engineers to open WRL files only from trusted, verified sources
Restrict local administrator rights on workstations running Plant Simulation to limit post-exploitation impact

Patch Information

Siemens has released fixed builds addressing the WRL parser overflow. Apply V2201.0012 for the V2201 branch and V2302.0006 for the V2302 branch. Consult the Siemens Security Advisory SSA-017796 for download locations and installation guidance.

Workarounds

Block inbound .wrl file attachments at the email gateway for users who do not require 3D scene imports
Isolate engineering workstations that process external simulation assets on segmented VLANs with restricted egress
Use application allowlisting to prevent Plant Simulation from spawning shell or scripting interpreters

bash

# Configuration example: block WRL attachments at a Postfix email gateway
# /etc/postfix/mime_header_checks
/name=[^>]*\.wrl/  REJECT WRL attachments are not permitted by policy

# Reference in /etc/postfix/main.cf
mime_header_checks = regexp:/etc/postfix/mime_header_checks