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What is CVE-2022-38465?A high-severity flaw in Simatic S7-1500 Software Controller, explained.

High severity89 affected products
The short answer

CVE-2022-38465 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.8) in Simatic S7-1500 Software Controller from Siemens, published on 11 October 2022. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 0.2%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.

Check if it affects you →How to fix it

Published 11 October 2022. Record last updated 7 November 2023. We keep this page's data up to date.

What it does

What is CVE-2022-38465? In plain terms.

An attacker has to be already on the device with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.

The official description

A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC Drive Controller family (All versions < V2.9.2), SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions), SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC2 (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V21.9), SIMATIC S7-1200 CPU family (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V4.5.0), SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU family (incl. related ET200 CPUs and SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V2.9.2), SIMATIC S7-1500 Software Controller (All versions < V21.9), SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced (All versions < V4.0), SINUMERIK MC (All versions < V6.21), SINUMERIK ONE (All versions < V6.21). Affected products protect the built-in global private key in a way that cannot be considered sufficient any longer. The key is used for the legacy protection of confidential configuration data and the legacy PG/PC and HMI communication.

This could allow attackers to discover the private key of a CPU product family by an offline attack against a single CPU of the family. Attackers could then use this knowledge to extract confidential configuration data from projects that are protected by that key or to perform attacks against legacy PG/PC and HMI communication.

What kind of flaw is it?

  • CWE-522Insufficiently Protected Credentials
CVSS 3.1 scoreHigh · 7.8

How an attack on it works

Read straight from its severity rating, translated out of the shorthand.

  • Where an attacker can beAlready on the device
  • How hard it is to pull offEasy: no special conditions
  • Login needed firstAn ordinary user account
  • Does someone have to clickNo, nobody has to do anything
  • What an attacker getsCan read data, change data and take it offline

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation

Is CVE-2022-38465 being exploited? Not that we know of.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 0.2%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

Known to be exploitedNoNot on the list of exploited flaws today
Chance of use in the next 30 days0.2%Its EPSS score, from the latest forecast

Timeline

  1. Published
  2. Record last updated
How Precursor Intelligence ranks it
53out of 100Medium

CVE-2022-38465 scores 53. Action: Plan remediation.

We keep the score of every published flaw up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, and evidence that criminals are actually using it counts most. In order:

  • Evidence it is being exploitedBiggest factor
  • How severe it isStrong factor
  • How widely exposed it isSmaller factor
  • Threat activity around itSmaller factor

85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score.

When CVE-2022-38465 matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.

See your own ranked list →
Affected products

Who is affected by CVE-2022-38465? 89 products.

The published record lists 89 products from 1 vendor. Versions are shown as published: "before 21.9" means every version up to, but not including, 21.9. If you run one of these, check your version, then go to the fix below.

Remediation

How do I fix CVE-2022-38465? Four steps.

  1. Check whether you run itCompare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
  2. Apply the vendor’s fixInstall the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisory first in the list.
  3. If you can’t patch todayFollow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
  4. Keep an eye on itTrack the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.

References

2 links
Precursor Intelligence

Does CVE-2022-38465 affect you? We'll keep checking.

Looking flaws up one at a time doesn't scale. Tell us what you run once, and we tell you which flaws matter to you, in what order, and keep watching for new ones.

  1. Tell us what you runPick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
  2. We match it to every flawOver 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
  3. Ranked by real-world riskA 0 to 100 score, led by evidence criminals are using it.
  4. Told as soon as we knowAn alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.
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FAQ

Common questions, answered plainly.

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CVE-2022-38465 is a high-severity flaw in Simatic S7-1500 Software Controller from Siemens, published on 11 October 2022. An attacker has to be already on the device with an ordinary user account, and nobody has to click anything. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.

It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is high. Our risk score for CVE-2022-38465 is 53 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". No sign of exploitation and a low forecast. Patch it in your normal update cycle.

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 0.2%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

For Simatic S7-1500 Software Controller from Siemens: before 21.9. The record lists 89 products in all, each with its versions, under "Who is affected" on this page.

Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.

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