Description

ScadaLTS 2.7.8.1 exposes a server-side method that lacks authorization checks, allowing any authenticated user (including one holding only low-privilege, read-only permissions) to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the host. Successful exploitation results in code execution in the context of the ScadaLTS server process (root), leading to full compromise of the underlying system.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "9.9",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-12T20:17:42.933Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-12T20:17:42.933Z",
  "executiveSummary": "ScadaLTS version 2.7.8.1 suffers from a critical server-side vulnerability that enables authenticated users, including those with low-privilege and read-only access, to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the host. This vulnerability involves insufficient authorization checks within a server-side method, completely bypassing intended access controls.\nSuccessful exploitation of this flaw grants an attacker arbitrary code execution capabilities running directly in the context of the ScadaLTS server process, which executes with root privileges. This leads to an immediate and full compromise of the underlying host operating system.\nThe risk implication is severe, as any compromised low-privilege account can be leveraged to achieve total system takeover. Attack requirements are limited to valid user authentication, meaning an attacker must possess or obtain low-privileged credentials to interact with the vulnerable server-side functionality.\nAffected systems include ScadaLTS version 2.7.8.1. Organizations utilizing this software face extreme exposure if unauthorized or untrusted users can provision accounts or if existing low-privilege accounts are compromised.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides in ScadaLTS version 2.7.8.1, specifically within a server-side method that fails to enforce proper authorization checks. In a secure architecture, administrative or high-privilege operations must validate the session context and role-based access control (RBAC) permissions of the requesting user prior to execution. In this instance, the vulnerable component omits these critical validation steps.\nAuthentication requirements dictate that the attacker must possess an active session. However, the privilege requirements are minimal, as the affected method permits access to users holding only low-privilege, read-only permissions. Network exposure is present wherever the ScadaLTS application is accessible to authenticated users over the network.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the authenticated low-privilege user interacts with the application interface or API to invoke the vulnerable server-side method. Second, because the server code lacks authorization logic, the request is processed without verifying whether the user holds the necessary administrative role. Third, the method accepts user-supplied input intended for operating system execution and passes it directly to the underlying host shell.\nThe payload behavior involves the execution of arbitrary operating system commands injected through the unvalidated method parameter. Because the ScadaLTS server process runs with root privileges, the injected commands execute with the highest level of system privileges.\nThe post-exploitation impact is catastrophic. An attacker achieving execution in the context of the root user gains complete control over the host operating system. This allows for arbitrary file reading and writing, installation of persistent backdoors, lateral movement across the internal network, and total compromise of the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) environment managed by the server."
}