Several critical vulnerabilities were discovered in Bosch Rexroth’s **NXA015S-36V-B pneumatic torque wrenches**, widely used in safety-critical automotive manufacturing (e.g., Volkswagen, BMW). Exploitation risks include **ransomware deployment**, causing **production line stoppages** and **large-scale financial losses**, or **undetectable sabotage of tightening programs**, leading to **sub-optimal or excessive torque application**. This compromises operational safety, risks **premature mechanical failures** (e.g., bolt/nut deformation, thread stripping), and could trigger **mass product recalls** due to defective assemblies. Long-term impacts include **legal liabilities from accidents**, **reputational damage**, and **extortion threats** where attackers demand payment to disclose flaws. The vulnerabilities (some scoring **8.8 on the CVE scale**) allow **unauthenticated remote access**, enabling full device takeover—disabling controls, displaying ransom messages, or altering torque settings. While no exploits are confirmed yet, the potential for **safety incidents (e.g., vehicle component failures)** and **operational shutdowns** poses existential risks to manufacturers reliant on these tools. Bosch is releasing patches by **January 2024**, but unmitigated attacks could disrupt **entire supply chains**.
Source: https://therecord.media/bosch-rexroth-pneumatic-wrenches-vulnerabilities-disclosed
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/bosch-rexroth
"id": "bos3343333102725",
"linkid": "bosch-rexroth",
"type": "Vulnerability",
"date": "1/2024",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': ['Volkswagen (custom protocol '
'support)',
'BMW (custom protocol support)',
'Other automotive manufacturers '
'(likely)',
'Facilities using Rexroth Nexo '
'nutrunners in safety-critical '
'applications'],
'industry': ['Industrial Automation',
'Automotive Manufacturing',
'Engineering'],
'location': 'Germany (global operations)',
'name': 'Bosch Rexroth (subsidiary of Bosch)',
'size': 'Large (part of Bosch Group, a multinational '
'corporation)',
'type': 'Manufacturer'}],
'attack_vector': ['Unauthenticated Network Access',
'Custom Protocol Exploitation (Volkswagen, BMW, etc.)',
'Web Application Vulnerabilities in Management Interface'],
'customer_advisories': ['Notifications via Bosch Rexroth RSS feed.',
'Urgent recommendation to install patches once '
'available.'],
'date_resolved': '2024-01-31',
'description': 'Several vulnerabilities were found in the Bosch Rexroth '
'NXA015S-36V-B nutrunner/pneumatic torque wrench, a device '
'used in safety-critical manufacturing processes (e.g., '
'automotive production lines). The vulnerabilities, discovered '
'by Nozomi Networks, allow threat actors to implant '
'ransomware, hijack tightening programs, and disrupt '
'production lines. While no exploits have been reported yet, '
'the risks include financial losses, operational disruptions, '
'and compromised product safety. Bosch Rexroth is releasing a '
'patch in late January 2024 to address the issues, which '
'affect 14 versions of the Rexroth Nexo cordless nutrunner and '
'5 versions of the Rexo special cordless nutrunner. Some '
'vulnerabilities score as high as 8.8 on the CVE scale and can '
'be chained for more severe attacks.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High (safety-critical failures in '
'automotive/manufacturing sectors)',
'customer_complaints': 'Potential increase due to defective or '
'unsafe products',
'downtime': 'Potential full stoppage of production lines if '
'ransomware deployed',
'financial_loss': 'Potential large-scale losses due to production '
'line stoppages, product recalls, or lawsuits',
'legal_liabilities': ['Lawsuits from defective product operations',
'Regulatory penalties for safety violations',
'Product recall costs'],
'operational_impact': ['Disruption of safety-critical tightening '
'tasks',
'Compromised torque levels (overtightening '
'or undertightening)',
'Premature failure of mechanical fastenings',
'Quality assurance failures (last line of '
'defense in some cases)'],
'revenue_loss': 'High (due to production halts, recalls, or '
'defective products)',
'systems_affected': ['Bosch Rexroth NXA015S-36V-B '
'nutrunner/pneumatic torque wrench',
'Connected production lines (e.g., automotive '
'manufacturing)',
'Management web application for device '
'configuration']},
'initial_access_broker': {'backdoors_established': 'Potential (if '
'vulnerabilities are '
'exploited)',
'entry_point': 'Management web application of the '
'nutrunner device',
'high_value_targets': ['Automotive production lines',
'Safety-critical tightening '
'operations',
'Quality assurance '
'processes']},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (patch in development, no known exploits to '
'date)',
'lessons_learned': ['Increasing interconnectivity in production lines '
'amplifies cyber risks in OT environments.',
'Unauthenticated access to industrial devices can lead to '
'severe physical and operational consequences.',
'Safety-critical devices require robust security measures '
'beyond traditional IT protections.',
'Delayed disclosure of vulnerability details can provide '
'time for mitigation but may limit collaborative '
'defense.'],
'motivation': ['Potential Financial Gain (Ransomware)',
'Industrial Sabotage',
'Extortion via Product Quality Manipulation'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Software patch to address '
'authentication and message '
'injection vulnerabilities.',
'Enhanced monitoring for '
'unauthorized configuration '
'changes.',
'Review of custom protocol '
'implementations (e.g., '
'Volkswagen, BMW) for '
'security flaws.'],
'root_causes': ['Insecure management web '
'application allowing '
'unauthenticated access.',
'Lack of authentication for '
'critical device commands.',
'Over-reliance on network '
'connectivity for industrial '
'devices without adequate '
'safeguards.']},
'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'Potential (device takeover scenario)',
'ransom_demanded': 'Potential (scenario described but not yet '
'observed)'},
'recommendations': ['Apply Bosch Rexroth patches immediately upon release '
'(late January 2024).',
'Isolate or segment industrial devices from broader '
'network access where possible.',
'Monitor for unauthorized changes to device '
'configurations or torque settings.',
'Implement multi-factor authentication for management '
'interfaces on OT devices.',
'Conduct regular security assessments for interconnected '
'production systems.',
'Develop incident response plans specific to OT '
'environments and safety-critical devices.'],
'references': [{'source': 'Recorded Future News (via Nozomi Networks '
'research)'},
{'source': 'Nozomi Networks Vulnerability Advisory'},
{'source': 'Bosch Rexroth Customer Advisories (RSS feed)'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Potential (if vulnerabilities '
'lead to safety incidents or '
'defective products)'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Public statement by Bosch '
'spokesperson',
'Customer notifications via '
'advisories and RSS feed',
'Delayed full disclosure of technical '
'details'],
'containment_measures': ['Patch development (scheduled for late '
'January 2024)',
'Limited disclosure of vulnerability '
'details to allow time for patching'],
'incident_response_plan_activated': True,
'remediation_measures': ['Software update for affected devices',
'Customer advisories via RSS feed'],
'third_party_assistance': ['Nozomi Networks (vulnerability '
'disclosure and research)']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Bosch Rexroth public statement acknowledging '
'vulnerabilities and patch timeline.',
'Nozomi Networks coordinated disclosure with '
'limited technical details.'],
'title': 'Vulnerabilities Discovered in Bosch Rexroth NXA015S-36V-B Pneumatic '
'Torque Wrenches',
'type': ['Vulnerability Disclosure',
'Potential Ransomware',
'Operational Technology (OT) Compromise'],
'vulnerability_exploited': [{'affected_versions': ['14 versions of Rexroth '
'Nexo cordless nutrunner',
'5 versions of Rexroth '
'Nexo special cordless '
'nutrunner'],
'description': 'Unauthenticated message '
'injection via management web '
'application',
'exploitability': 'Remote, unauthenticated',
'patch_status': 'Patch scheduled for late '
'January 2024',
'severity': 'High (up to 8.8 on CVE scale)'}]}