DEF CON 33 - Intro to Common Industrial Protocol Exploitation - Trevor Flynn
Source: YouTube · DEFCONConference · published Oct 10, 2025 · 23:19
The video introduces Common Industrial Protocol (CIP), a communications protocol used in industrial devices like PLCs and other control systems. CIP enables devices such as programmable logic controllers, variable frequency drives, and sensors to communicate within industrial facilities.
Key Takeaways:
• CIP was originally developed by Allen Bradley and revealed in 1994, evolving from DeviceNet to ControlNet to Ethernet/IP, which utilizes both UDP and TCP for transport [2:01]
• CIP operates like a remote procedure call protocol using objects with class IDs, instance IDs, attributes (variables), and services (functions) that can be called over the network
• CIP has three forms of explicit communication: UCMM (unconnected message manager), unconnected requests (single session), and connected sessions (persistent connection)
• CIP routing allows communication between different network types, creating potential security implications as devices can route between networks that may appear air-gapped
• Fuzzing CIP by sending targeted random values can discover undocumented objects and vulnerabilities, though testing must be done responsibly on these critical infrastructure systems
The presentation emphasizes both the power and security risks of CIP, highlighting the need for responsible testing of industrial systems to protect critical infrastructure.
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First 800 characters of the transcript
So I guess we'll get started here. Can you hear me? Okay. Is the audio working? Perfect. So today we're going to talk about common industrial protocol and just kind of an introduction how to get started if you want to do your own exploitation, maybe learning about the protocol, do some basic pen testing, that kind of thing. So let's talk about what is CIP. Common industrial protocol is a communications protocol used by industrial devices. So you have things like programmable logic controllers. These are the computers actually in your industrial facilities. They're controlling your plant. They're running the logic, opening and closing valves, turning pumps on and off, looking at sensors. And a lot of PLC systems can communicate via CIP or they work with other devices in your plant that will…