Critical

MZ Automation libIEC61850

All CISA Advisories

Overview

Recent vulnerabilities in MZ Automation's libIEC61850 could allow unauthorized attackers on the same network to crash vital IEC 61850 services or run arbitrary code. This affects all versions of libIEC61850 from 1.0.0 to 1.6.1. With these weaknesses, critical control and protection functions could be significantly disrupted, posing a serious risk to industrial control systems. MZ Automation recommends that users update to the latest version of the software to mitigate these vulnerabilities. Although no known exploitations have been reported, organizations should take immediate action to secure their systems by minimizing network exposure and using secure remote access methods like VPNs.

Key Takeaways

  • Affected Systems: MZ Automation libIEC61850 versions >=1.0.0 and <=1.6.1
  • Action Required: Update to the latest build of libIEC61850; documentation available at https://github.
  • Timeline: Disclosed on October 2023

Original Article Summary

View CSAF Summary Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow an unauthenticated network-adjacent attacker to crash critical IEC 61850 services or execute arbitrary code, disrupting or compromising protection, visibility, and control functions. The following versions of MZ Automation libIEC61850 are affected: libIEC61850 >=v1.0.0|=v1.0.0|=v1.0.0|=v1.0.0|=v1.0.0|<=v1.6.1 Product Status: known_affected Remediations Vendor fix MZ Automation recommends updating to the latest build of the libIEC61850 standard. Documentation can be found at https://github.com/mz-automation/libiec61850. https://github.com/mz-automation/libiec61850 Relevant CWE: CWE-476 NULL Pointer Dereference Metrics CVSS Version Base Score Base Severity Vector String 3.1 7.5 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H 4.0 8.7 HIGH CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N Acknowledgments Abhinav Agarwal reported these vulnerabilities to CISA Legal Notice and Terms of Use This product is provided subject to this Notification (https://www.cisa.gov/notification) and this Privacy & Use policy (https://www.cisa.gov/privacy-policy). Recommended Practices CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities. Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet. Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks. When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as the connected devices. CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures. CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov/ics. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies. CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets. Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov/ics in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies. Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents. CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks: Do not click web links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages. Refer to Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams for more information on avoiding email scams. Refer to Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks. No known public exploitation specifically targeting these vulnerabilities has been reported to CISA at this time. Revision History Initial Release Date: 2026-07-23 Date Revision Summary 2026-07-23 1 Initial Publication Legal Notice and Terms of Use

Impact

MZ Automation libIEC61850 versions >=1.0.0 and <=1.6.1

Exploitation Status

No active exploitation has been reported at this time. However, organizations should still apply patches promptly as proof-of-concept code may exist.

Timeline

Disclosed on October 2023

Remediation

Update to the latest build of libIEC61850; documentation available at https://github.com/mz-automation/libiec61850.

Additional Information

This threat intelligence is aggregated from trusted cybersecurity sources. For the most up-to-date information, technical details, and official vendor guidance, please refer to the original article linked below.

Related Topics: This incident relates to Phishing, Update, Critical.

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