CVE-2018-7242
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 · uneditedVulnerable hash algorithms exists in Schneider Electric's Modicon Premium, Modicon Quantum, Modicon M340, and BMXNOR0200 controllers in all versions of the communication modules. The algorithm used to encrypt the password is vulnerable to hash collision attacks.
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 confidenceSchneider Electric Modicon controllers (Premium, Quantum, M340, BMXNOR0200) use a weak hash algorithm to encrypt passwords in their communication modules. This algorithm is vulnerable to hash collision attacks, allowing attackers to forge valid password hashes and authenticate without knowing the actual password.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 affected Modicon controller modelsInventory your industrial control system (ICS) for Schneider Electric Modicon controllers. Look for BMXNOR0200, BMXNOR0200H, 140cpu65150, 140cpu31110, 140cpu43412u, 140cpu65160, 140cpu65260, or 140cpu65860 models in your asset list or physical equipment.Affected if Any of these eight controller models are present in the environment
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Check if password authentication is enabledAccess the controller configuration via the engineering software (Unity Pro, SoMachine) or the controller web interface. Navigate to the communication module settings and verify if password protection is configured for user authentication.Affected if Password-based authentication is enabled on the affected controller
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Verify firmware versionConnect to the controller via the engineering software or web interface and retrieve the firmware version from the device diagnostics or system information screen.Affected if The controller is any of the affected models and runs any firmware version (all versions are affected)
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Assess network exposureReview network diagrams and firewall rules to determine whether the affected controllers are reachable from network segments outside the isolated ICS zone.Affected if The affected controller is accessible from non-ICS networks or the internet
The environment is affected if any of the eight listed Modicon controller models are present with password authentication enabled, regardless of firmware version.
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 dataIsolate affected controllers on restricted network segments, implement compensating controls like strict access control lists, and contact Schneider Electric for firmware updates that implement a cryptographically secure password hashing mechanism.
- Consultation12.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $14,592.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-7242 — 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-2018-7242 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data