CVE-2012-6440: Rockwell Automation ControlLogix PLC Improper Input Validation

Recommended actionScheduled

Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.

Patch available

What, why and how

The Web server password authentication mechanism used by the products is vulnerable to a MitM and Replay attack. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability will allow unauthorized access of the product’s Web server to view and alter product configuration and diagnostics information. 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

What

Why

The affected component does not establish the requesting party's identity reliably before granting access.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

Why

The affected component does not establish the requesting party's identity reliably before granting access.

How

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation

Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.

No confirmed evidence

No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.

Public PoC / exploit material

Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.

None recorded

No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.

Likely attack path: a network path → Improper Authentication → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface: Network
Privileges required: None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction: None
Attack complexity: High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
Security boundary: Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
Weakness ? CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.: CWE-287 ↗
CWE-287: Improper Authentication. When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
CVSS vector ? CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Common Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CLowConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ILowIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.
Post-exploitation / living off the land: No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.

NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-287

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2012-6293Official EUVD mapping

0 linked advisory records.

Official EUVD record ↗

Patch and workaround

Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.

Status ? Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change.: Patch available
Affected: 1756-ENBT, 1756-EWEB, 1768-ENBT, 1768-EWEB communication modules: All
CompactLogix L32E and L35E controllers: All
1788-ENBT FLEXLogix adapter: All
1794-AENTR FLEX I/O EtherNet/IP adapter: All
ControlLogix, CompactLogix, GuardLogix, and SoftLogix: ≤ 18
CompactLogix and SoftLogix controllers: ≤ 19
ControlLogix and GuardLogix controllers: ≤ 20
MicroLogix: 1100, 1400
Fixed: According to Rockwell, any of the above products that become affected by a vulnerability can be reset by rebooting or power cycling the affected product. After the reboot, the affected product may require some reconfiguration.
To mitigate the vulnerabilities, Rockwell has developed and released security patches on July 18, 2012, to address each of the issues. To download and install the patches please refer to Rockwell’s Advisories at:
https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/470154
https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/aid/470155
https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/aid/470156
For more information on security with Rockwell Automation products, please refer to Rockwell’s Security Advisory Index http://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/54102 .
Action: Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
Workaround: No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.

Evidence and provenance

Published 24 Jan 2013 · Last source change 3 Jun 2026, 13:36 UTC · CWE-287 · Improper Authentication

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2

CVSS sourceCISA ADP

EPSS source

The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.

FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-13

European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2012-6293

Product sourceCNA

Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references

CWE sourceCNA

NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗

13 Sep 2026, 17:01 UTC
ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2012-6293 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.
Before
not recorded
After
{"euvdId":"EUVD-2012-6293"}
ENISA EUVD ↗
3 Jun 2026, 13:36 UTC
Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
CNA ↗

2013-01-24CVE published

2026-06-03Fixed release or patch reference recorded

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2012-6293↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗

Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report

CVE: Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
CVSS: Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
EPSS: Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
CWE: Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
CNA: CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
CISA ADP: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
NVD: National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
CERT / CSIRT: A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
PoC: Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
CSAF: Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
LoTL: Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.

Rockwell Automation ControlLogix PLC Improper Input Validation

Published severity in operational context

Evidence used

Compensating controls

Verification

National CERT insights
?
CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

EUVD-2012-6293