CVE-2018-16563
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA vulnerability has been identified in Firmware variant IEC 61850 for EN100 Ethernet module (All versions < V4.35), Firmware variant MODBUS TCP for EN100 Ethernet module (All versions), Firmware variant DNP3 TCP for EN100 Ethernet module (All versions), Firmware variant IEC104 for EN100 Ethernet module (All versions), Firmware variant Profinet IO for EN100 Ethernet module (All versions), SIPROTEC 5 relays with CPU variants CP300 and CP100 and the respective Ethernet communication modules (All versions < V7.82), SIPROTEC 5 relays with CPU variants CP200 and the respective Ethernet communication modules (All versions < V7.58). Specially crafted packets to port 102/tcp could cause a denial-of-service condition in the affected products. A manual restart is required to recover the EN100 module functionality of the affected devices. Successful exploitation requires an attacker with network access to send multiple packets to the affected products or modules. As a precondition the IEC 61850-MMS communication needs to be activated on the affected products or modules. No user interaction or privileges are required to exploit the vulnerability. The vulnerability could allow causing a Denial-of-Service condition of the network functionality of the device, compromising the availability of the system. At the time of advisory publication no public exploitation of this security vulnerability was known.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA denial-of-service vulnerability exists in Siemens EN100 Ethernet modules and SIPROTEC 5 relays where specially crafted packets sent to port 102/tcp (IEC 61850-MMS) can crash the network functionality. The attack requires network access and the IEC 61850-MMS protocol to be enabled, but needs no authentication or user interaction. Affected devices require a manual restart to recover.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 7.82< 7.58< 7.82all versionsall versions= 4.35all versionsall versionsCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify device model and typeDetermine if the target device is a Siemens EN100 Ethernet Module or SIPROTEC 5 relay. Check device labeling, management interface, or firmware information to confirm the exact model variant (e.g., EN100 with IEC 61850 variant, SIPROTEC 5 CP100/CP200/CP300).Affected if Device is an EN100 Ethernet Module (any variant) or SIPROTEC 5 with CP100, CP200, or CP300 CPU.
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Check EN100 firmware versionAccess the EN100 module through its web interface or management console and retrieve the firmware version. For IEC 61850 variant specifically, verify if version equals 4.35. For other variants (DNP3 TCP, IEC104, Modbus TCP), all versions are affected.Affected if EN100 firmware is any version, or specifically version 4.35 for IEC 61850 variant.
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Check SIPROTEC 5 firmware versionAccess the SIPROTEC 5 relay through its management interface and retrieve the CPU firmware version. Compare against the installed CPU variant (CP100, CP200, or CP300).Affected if SIPROTEC 5 CP100 or CP300 version < 7.82, or CP200 version < 7.58.
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Verify IEC 61850-MMS protocol is enabledCheck device configuration to confirm the IEC 61850-MMS protocol (MMS over TCP port 102) is enabled. This is typically found in the device network settings or IEC 61850 configuration menu.Affected if IEC 61850-MMS protocol is enabled and listening on port 102/tcp.
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Assess network exposure to port 102/tcpDetermine if port 102/tcp is accessible from network segments that an attacker could reach. Use port scanning or review firewall rules and network ACLs controlling access to the device.Affected if Port 102/tcp is exposed to untrusted network segments without adequate filtering.
You are affected if you have a Siemens EN100 module (any firmware) or SIPROTEC 5 (CP100/CP300 < 7.82, CP200 < 7.58) with IEC 61850-MMS enabled and port 102/tcp network-accessible to potential attackers.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data7.587.82
Apply vendor-supplied firmware updates: EN100 IEC 61850 to V4.35+, SIPROTEC 5 CP300/CP100 to V7.82+, and SIPROTEC 5 CP200 to V7.58+. Until patched, consider network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access to port 102/tcp.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-16563 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-16563 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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