License to Kill: Leveraging License Management to Attack ICS Networks

Claroty researchers Sharon Brizinov and Tal Keren have uncovered six critical vulnerabilities in Wibu-Systems’ CodeMeter third-party license management component, which could expose OT environments across numerous industries to exploits via phishing campaigns or direct attacks. Like Ripple20, these vulnerabilities serve as a poignant example of how third-party components can be a significant—yet often overlooked—point of weakness within OT environments.

Adversaries could leverage the discovered vulnerabilities to modify existing software licenses or inject malicious ones, causing devices and processes to crash. These flaws also include serious encryption issues, which could allow attackers to execute code remotely and move laterally on OT networks.