Description

Buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Contec EC1000 series. If a remote attacker sends a specially crafted request to the product's web service, an arbitrary program may be executed.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "8.8",
  "pubDate": "2026-09-14T07:17:18.557Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-09-14T07:17:18.557Z",
  "executiveSummary": "A critical buffer overflow vulnerability has been identified in the Contec EC1000 series.\nThis vulnerability resides within the device's web service interface, allowing a remote, unauthenticated attacker to inject and execute arbitrary code.\nSuccessful exploitation compromises the integrity and availability of the affected system by enabling remote code execution (RCE).\nThe risk is categorized as high, as it requires no prior authentication and can be leveraged by an attacker with network access to the web interface.\nImpact includes total system compromise, unauthorized data access, or the disruption of industrial control functions associated with the EC1000 unit.\nOrganizations deploying the Contec EC1000 series should restrict network access to the web management interface to mitigate exposure.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability is a classic stack-based or heap-based buffer overflow occurring within the web service component of the Contec EC1000 series.\nThe root cause originates from inadequate bounds checking on user-supplied input transmitted via HTTP requests to the product's web server.\nWhen the web service processes a specially crafted request—typically involving an overly long URI, header, or POST body parameter—the input exceeds the allocated memory buffer.\nThis overflow allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory addresses on the stack or heap, including critical control flow structures such as the instruction pointer (EIP/RIP) or saved return addresses.\nBy precisely controlling the content of the buffer, an attacker can redirect the execution flow of the web service process to arbitrary instructions.\nThe attack flow typically follows these steps: 1) The attacker initiates a connection to the target web service over the network. 2) The attacker crafts a malicious request containing a payload designed to overflow the target buffer. 3) The payload overwrites the function return address or internal pointer. 4) Upon function completion or specific event triggering, the process jumps to the attacker-supplied shellcode or invokes a ROP (Return-Oriented Programming) chain.\nBecause the web service likely runs with elevated system privileges to interface with hardware control functions, the executed payload inherits these high-level privileges.\nThis vulnerability does not require authentication, making it accessible to any network-adjacent attacker who can reach the web management interface.\nPost-exploitation impact includes the persistent installation of backdoors, unauthorized modification of device configuration, or the execution of unauthorized commands within the local operating environment of the EC1000 series."
}