Attention, WindowsForum community: A new advisory published by CISA has revealed serious vulnerabilities in mySCADA's myPRO software suite, which are particularly concerning for industrial control system (ICS) environments. The vulnerabilities are so critical that they scored a whooping CVSS v4 base score of 9.3, signaling their major exploit potential. If you're part of an operation utilizing mySCADA products for industrial processes or critical manufacturing, now is the time to act.
Let's break down this advisory, what these technical vulnerabilities mean, and how to protect your systems.
To all security admins managing ICS environments, this isn’t just a software update—it’s a race against time.
Have any ICS-related mitigation success stories or questions about the latest vulnerabilities? Share them below and join the discussion in our WindowsForum cybersecurity corner!
Source: CISA https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-25-023-01
Let's break down this advisory, what these technical vulnerabilities mean, and how to protect your systems.
What Are the Key Vulnerabilities?
Two vulnerabilities have been identified in mySCADA myPRO Manager and myPRO Runtime—both tools widely used to manage industrial control systems. Here's the breakdown:1. OS Command Injection Vulnerability in File Transfers (CVE-2025-20061)
An issue with the way POST requests are handled allows an attacker to submit malicious data through a specific port tied to email processing systems within the software. If exploited, this could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary OS-level commands, essentially handing over control of the target system.- Affected Systems: All versions of myPRO Manager prior to 1.3, and all versions of myPRO Runtime prior to 9.2.1.
- Severity: This vulnerability carries a CVSS v4 score of 9.3 (Critical), with the attack vector indicating exploitation can be achieved remotely without complex authentication or user interaction.
2. OS Command Injection via System Information Requests (CVE-2025-20014)
Similarly, another portion of the system processing POST requests with version information also suffers from improper input filtering, enabling remote OS command execution.- Scenario: An attacker could leverage this flaw to take complete control of the compromised system, potentially disrupting entire manufacturing environments or leaking sensitive configuration data.
- Severity: This uses the same CVSS v4 high-score metric, pegging it as extremely dangerous in industrial contexts.
Why Are These Vulnerabilities Alarming?
Both CVEs are rooted in Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in OS Commands, which is a fancy way of saying that mySCADA's software fails its input validation checks. Remember the infamous SQL injection exploits? This is a very similar concept but focused on executing unauthorized system-level commands.- Attack Simulation: Imagine sending a specially crafted POST request that includes your “version info” file but loaded with malicious OS commands. If the system doesn’t cleanse the input, it processes the commands blindly.
- Widespread Risk: Industrial control systems (ICS) like myPRO often directly manage factory equipment, power generators, or even water treatment plans. These systems are keystones in critical manufacturing and infrastructure.
Who Needs to Worry the Most?
The vulnerabilities affect mySCADA tools globally—but they are especially prevalent in Critical Manufacturing sectors according to CISA’s detailed alert. mySCADA's primary clients span industries where downtime, system malfunctions, or data breaches could cost millions of dollars or impact public safety. For example:- Factories utilizing automated machinery.
- Energy management systems dependent on industrial control frameworks.
- Any organization unable to compartmentalize operational technology (OT) networks from broader enterprise systems.
Mitigation Recommendations
Countering these threats is possible, but it’s not just about patching the software. Here’s a roadmap:1. Update Affected Products
The top-level priority should be to bring both myPRO Manager and myPRO Runtime up to their latest versions:- Upgrade myPRO Manager to version 1.3.
- Upgrade myPRO Runtime to version 9.2.1.
2. Implement Secure Network Configuration
Even patching software isn’t an excuse to be careless. CISA strongly recommends implementing the following:- Isolate ICS networks: Ensure systems handling ICS networks cannot directly interface with enterprise/business networks. Use physical or firewalls-based isolation where possible.
- Minimize Internet Exposure: Devices that aren’t designed for public internet exposure should stay offline unless absolutely necessary.
- If you must enable remote access, make it as secure as possible. This often means using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in their most updated, hardened state. But even VPNs aren’t foolproof; an improperly secured endpoint could remain exploitable.
3. Layered "Defense in Depth”
Cybersecurity for industrial control systems requires multiple lines of defense. Companies should audit and realign existing Defense in Depth Strategies:- Use intrusion prevention and threat-detection mechanisms wherever applicable. Keep these updated with signatures for ICS-specific exploits.
- Place rate-limit rules and restrictions on services exposed to external traffic ports (such as the ones handling POST requests in this case).
Future Trends and Why This Is a Wake-Up Call
This isn’t the first—or even the worst—vulnerability ICS technology has faced. But it’s unique in how low the barriers to entry for exploitation are. From a cyber-attack standpoint:- There is no user interaction required.
- Attack complexity doesn’t demand sophisticated know-how—making exploitable systems a potential target of choice among opportunistic attackers.
How Real is the Threat Right Now?
CISA notes, for now, there are no known public exploits in the wild targeting these specific mySCADA flaws. But zero-day exploitation isn’t something to underestimate. As always, the window between disclosure and the emergence of real-world attacks can close quickly—often in weeks, not months.To all security admins managing ICS environments, this isn’t just a software update—it’s a race against time.
Final Thoughts: Proactivity Beats Reactivity
It’s easy to think of updates and mitigations as a checklist. But these vulnerabilities aren’t just theoretical—they present a clear and immediate danger to organizations relying on mySCADA tools for critical operations. Take the necessary steps now, before someone else forces your hand.Have any ICS-related mitigation success stories or questions about the latest vulnerabilities? Share them below and join the discussion in our WindowsForum cybersecurity corner!
Source: CISA https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-25-023-01
