CVE-2018-5452
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 Stack-based Buffer Overflow issue was discovered in Emerson Process Management ControlWave Micro Process Automation Controller: ControlWave Micro [ProConOS v.4.01.280] firmware: CWM v.05.78.00 and prior. A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability caused by sending crafted packets on Port 20547 could force the PLC to change its state into halt mode.
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 · moderate confidenceA stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Emerson ControlWave Micro PLCs (ProConOS v.4.01.280 and prior, CWM v.05.78.00 and prior) allows remote attackers to send specially crafted packets on port 20547, causing a buffer overflow that can force the PLC into halt mode, disrupting process operations.
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<= 05.78.00CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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 the device as Emerson ControlWave Micro PLCCheck device model, nameplate, or management interface for 'ControlWave Micro' or 'Emerson' branding. Consult device documentation or inventory records if physical access is unavailable.Affected if The device is an Emerson ControlWave Micro PLC running ProConOS or CWM firmware.
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Determine the firmware versionAccess the PLC through its management interface, HMI, or engineering workstation software. Navigate to system information or firmware details. Compare the installed version against the affected range.Affected if Firmware version is ProConOS <= 4.01.280 or CWM <= 05.78.00.
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Verify if port 20547 is listening and accessibleScan the device or review firewall rules using 'nc -zv <device_ip> 20547' or equivalent port scanner. Check network configuration to determine if this port accepts external connections.Affected if Port 20547 is open and reachable from network segments that are not trusted or are externally accessible.
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Assess network exposure of the PLCReview network topology, firewall rules, and access control lists to determine if the PLC is segmented from untrusted networks. Check if the device is directly accessible from corporate or external networks.Affected if The PLC with vulnerable firmware is reachable from network segments that are not isolated or are considered high-risk.
A user is affected if they have an Emerson ControlWave Micro PLC with firmware version 05.78.00 or prior that has port 20547 exposed on an accessible network segment.
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 dataUpdate firmware to a patched version if available; otherwise, restrict network access to port 20547 via firewall rules and implement network segmentation to minimize exposure of the ICS environment.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-5452 — 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-2018-5452 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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