Attacks on EtherNet/IP and Migrations through CIP Security

With the Fourth Industrial Revolution (termed "Industry 4.0"), vendors and end users have been integrating Operational Technology (OT) more closely with conventional Information Technology (IT) networks. This allows end users to make real-time decisions, enhance productivity, and leverage up-and-coming technologies such as artificial intelligence in the manufacturing process. However, this does not come without risk. Most protocols that OT devices implement were conceived decades ago, often without any consideration to security. This leaves otherwise insecure devices exposed to IT networks. This paper investigates the security of the EtherNet/IP protocol from an attacker’s perspective. We develop an attack-defense tree of possible man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks against the EtherNet/IP protocol. We highlight nuances regarding the EtherNet/IP protocol, which make some traditional MitM attacks harder for attackers to execute. Then, we then demonstrate how the semantics of the EtherNet/IP OT protocol can be abused to execute various attacks. Finally, we give an analysis of EtherNet/IP’s countermeasures and a discourse on the challenges of fortifying the EtherNet/IP protocol’s security.