Plaintext storage of a password vulnerability in IDEC PLCs (FC6A Series MICROSmart All-in-One CPU module v2.32 and earlier, FC6A Series MICROSmart Plus CPU module v1.91 and earlier, WindLDR v8.19.1 and earlier, WindEDIT Lite v1.3.1 and earlier, and Data File Manager v2.12.1 and earlier) allows an attacker to obtain the PLC Web server user credentials from file servers, backup repositories, or ZLD files saved in SD cards. As a result, the attacker may access the PLC Web server and hijack the PLC, and manipulation of the PLC output and/or suspension of the PLC may be conducted.
The product stores sensitive information in cleartext within a resource that might be accessible to another control sphere.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsmart_fc6a_firmware | Idec | * | 2.32 (including) |
Because the information is stored in cleartext (i.e., unencrypted), attackers could potentially read it. Even if the information is encoded in a way that is not human-readable, certain techniques could determine which encoding is being used, then decode the information. When organizations adopt cloud services, it can be easier for attackers to access the data from anywhere on the Internet. In some systems/environments such as cloud, the use of “double encryption” (at both the software and hardware layer) might be required, and the developer might be solely responsible for both layers, instead of shared responsibility with the administrator of the broader system/environment.