CVE-2018-16561
7.5 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2018-16561 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting siemens simatic_s7-300_firmware. It was published on April 17, 2019 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
A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC S7-300 CPUs (All versions < V3.X.16). The affected CPUs improperly validate S7 communication packets which could cause a Denial-of-Service condition of the CPU. The CPU will remain in DEFECT mode until manual restart. Successful exploitation requires an attacker to be able to send a specially crafted S7 communication packet to a communication interface of the CPU. This includes Ethernet, PROFIBUS, and Multi Point Interfaces (MPI). No user interaction or privileges are required to exploit the security vulnerability. The vulnerability could allow causing a Denial-of-Service condition of the core functionality of the CPU, compromising the availability of the system. At the time of advisory publication no public exploitation of this security vulnerability was known. Siemens confirms the security vulnerability and provides mitigations to resolve the security issue.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from siemens. Update simatic_s7-300_firmware 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
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2018-16561?
CVE-2018-16561 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting siemens simatic_s7-300_firmware. It was published on April 17, 2019 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2018-16561?
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-2018-16561?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from siemens. Update simatic_s7-300_firmware 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-2018-16561?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2018-16561 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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