CVE-2012-6438
7.5 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2012-6438 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting rockwellautomation controllogix_controllers. It was published on January 24, 2013 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
The device does not properly validate the data being sent to the buffer. An attacker can send a malformed CIP packet to Port 2222/TCP, Port 2222/UDP, Port 44818/TCP, or Port 44818/UDP, which creates a buffer overflow and causes the NIC to crash. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could cause loss of availability and a disruption in communications with other connected devices.
Rockwell Automation EtherNet/IP products; 1756-ENBT, 1756-EWEB, 1768-ENBT, and 1768-EWEB communication modules; CompactLogix L32E and L35E controllers; 1788-ENBT FLEXLogix adapter; 1794-AENTR FLEX I/O EtherNet/IP adapter; ControlLogix 18 and earlier; CompactLogix 18 and earlier; GuardLogix 18 and earlier; SoftLogix 18 and earlier; CompactLogix controllers 19 and earlier; SoftLogix controllers 19 and earlier; ControlLogix controllers 20 and earlier; GuardLogix controllers 20 and earlier; and MicroLogix 1100 and 1400
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from rockwellautomation. Update controllogix_controllers to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| rockwellautomation | controllogix_controllers | 0 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | guardlogix_controllers | 0 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | micrologix | 0 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | softlogix_controllers | 0 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | compactlogix | 0 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | compactlogix_controllers | 0 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | controllogix | 0 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | guardlogix | 0 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | softlogix | 0 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2012-6438?
CVE-2012-6438 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting rockwellautomation controllogix_controllers. It was published on January 24, 2013 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2012-6438?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2012-6438?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from rockwellautomation. Update controllogix_controllers to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2012-6438?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2012-6438 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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