Heartbleed Superbug Found In Utility Monitoring Systems

Software that monitors utility plants and other operations at several military installations has been found to be affected by the recently discovered superbug Heartbleed, when configured a certain way, according to the Homeland Security Department and the software’s manufacturer.

"The latest release of Schneider Electric Wonderware Intelligence Version 1.5 SP1 is not susceptible to the OpenSSL vulnerability. However, users have been known to reinstall Tableau Server, the vulnerable third-party component that is affected. Therefore, Schneider Electric Wonderware has issued a patch and a security bulletin addressing this vulnerability in all versions," states a bulletin from the DHS Cyber Emergency Response Team.

Exploits made by hackers "that target this vulnerability are known to be publicly available" on the Web, DHS said. Heartbleed is a defect in common Web encryption software that researchers discovered in early April. Wonderware servers, made by Schneider Electric, collect and analyze plant performance data through the Web. The company’s cyber team identified the bug in the third-party component...