CVE-2024-2427 Overview
CVE-2024-2427 is a denial-of-service vulnerability affecting the Rockwell Automation PowerFlex® 527 AC drive. The flaw stems from improper traffic throttling on the device's network interface. An unauthenticated remote attacker can send repeated data packets to the device, causing it to crash. Recovery requires a manual restart, interrupting the industrial process the drive controls. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-20] Improper Input Validation and impacts the availability of the affected hardware without compromising confidentiality or integrity.
Critical Impact
A remote, unauthenticated attacker can crash PowerFlex 527 AC drives by flooding them with network packets, forcing manual intervention to restore operation in industrial control environments.
Affected Products
- Rockwell Automation PowerFlex 527 AC Drives
- Rockwell Automation PowerFlex 527 AC Drives Firmware (all versions prior to vendor fix)
- Industrial environments using PowerFlex 527 over Ethernet/IP networks
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-03-25 - CVE-2024-2427 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-2427
Vulnerability Analysis
The PowerFlex 527 is a networked AC drive used to control motors in industrial automation environments. The vulnerability resides in the device's network stack, which does not properly throttle incoming traffic. When a remote attacker transmits multiple data packets in rapid succession, the firmware fails to manage the inbound queue and the device enters an unrecoverable crash state.
The attacker requires no authentication, no user interaction, and no prior foothold on the network segment containing the drive. Because PowerFlex 527 drives typically operate on flat operational technology (OT) networks alongside programmable logic controllers (PLCs), a single compromised host can disrupt downstream physical processes. Restoring service requires an on-site manual restart, which can extend downtime in distributed industrial deployments.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper input validation [CWE-20] in the network packet processing path. The firmware lacks rate-limiting controls that would discard or queue excess traffic. Sustained packet delivery exhausts internal resources and triggers the crash condition.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network. An attacker on the same routable segment as the drive, or with access through an exposed industrial gateway, can send a repeated stream of data packets to the device. No specially crafted payload is required — volume alone triggers the failure. The EPSS score is 0.687% with a percentile of 47.84, indicating moderate prediction confidence for exploitation activity.
The vulnerability mechanism is described in prose only because no verified proof-of-concept code has been published. See the Rockwell Automation Security Advisory for vendor-supplied technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-2427
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected reboots or unresponsive states on PowerFlex 527 AC drives reported by SCADA or HMI systems
- Loss of communication alarms from PLCs that command the affected drives
- Sustained bursts of inbound traffic to PowerFlex 527 IP addresses from unauthorized hosts
Detection Strategies
- Baseline normal traffic volumes to PowerFlex 527 drives and alert on deviations exceeding the baseline
- Deploy network intrusion detection sensors on OT segments to flag packet floods directed at industrial endpoints
- Correlate drive availability events with network telemetry to distinguish operational faults from network-driven crashes
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Ethernet/IP and CIP traffic metadata to a centralized security monitoring platform for analysis
- Track manual restart events and ticket frequency for PowerFlex 527 assets as a leading indicator of abuse
- Monitor north-south traffic between IT and OT zones for protocols that should not traverse the boundary
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-2427
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all PowerFlex 527 AC drives and identify firmware versions deployed across each site
- Apply the firmware update referenced in Rockwell Automation Advisory SD1664 as soon as maintenance windows permit
- Restrict network access to PowerFlex 527 drives using firewall rules that allow only known engineering and controller hosts
Patch Information
Rockwell Automation has published advisory SD1664 with remediation guidance. Operators with a valid support contract should consult the Rockwell Automation Security Advisory for the corrected firmware version and installation instructions specific to their PowerFlex 527 deployment.
Workarounds
- Segment OT networks using the Purdue model and place PowerFlex 527 drives behind industrial firewalls
- Implement rate-limiting and traffic shaping at upstream switches or industrial firewalls protecting the drives
- Disable or block unused network services and ports on the drive where the firmware permits configuration changes
- Require jump-host or VPN access for any engineering workstation that communicates with PowerFlex 527 assets
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
