Security hole found in software used by power plants
We can all live with outages at Yahoo Mail, Twitter, and CNN.com. But what about when there's an outage that affects our electrical power, heating systems, and gas supplies?
Boston-based security firm Core Security has discovered a serious hole in the Suitelink software that is used to automate operations at power stations, oil refineries and production lines, according to a report in New Scientist.
Attackers exploiting the vulnerability could crash the software by transmitting an outsize packet data to a certain port on the computer running Suitelink, the article says.
Fortunately, Wonderware, the company that makes Suitelink, has issued a software patch for the vulnerability. Now it's up to the plants to update their software.
Even without finding security holes in the SCADA control software, it's possible to break into power plants by downloading malware to employee computers through a socially engineered e-mail that directs them to a malicious server, a security expert said at RSA 2008.
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press. E-mail Elinor. 
It's funny though, I've got a neighbor who works for Progress Energy in the carolinas, and as I've heard you'd be surprised that if a major computer failure were to occur, we CAN overide it. Even if we think the computers are wrong *cough* three mile island *cough* humans remain in full control.
Yes, some systems might begin automatic shutdown procedures, but after a few hours everything could be back online. Like the recent Flordia blackout.
If they can do this, they can exploit any of the well known Windows flaws. They will probably be totally unaware that Suitelink is running and that there is a specific exploit for it.
This article is trying to build hype but is short on facts and reality.
- by Kgaines May 20, 2008 9:44 AM PDT
- Amazing... I work Tech Support for Wonderware. This vulnerability was discovered in February, and a patch released in March. This "Core Security" group are a little late to the game. I sincerely hope large companies don't rely on them for important security bulletins. Needless to say, as Boid has stated, any IT/Network manager worth their salt would not have a critical production environment exposed to the internet...
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