CVE-2019-10998
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 · uneditedAn issue was discovered on Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 (No.2404267) before 2019.0 LTS and AXC F 2152 STARTERKIT (No.1046568) before 2019.0 LTS devices. Unlimited physical access to the PLC may lead to a manipulation of SD cards data. SD card manipulation may lead to an authentication bypass opportunity.
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 confidencePhysical vulnerability in Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 PLCs (versions before 2019.0 LTS) allows an attacker with unlimited physical access to manipulate SD card data, which can lead to authentication bypass.
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< 2019.0_lts< 2019.0_ltsCVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/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 the PLC modelLocate the physical PLC unit or check system documentation for the exact model number. Look for 'AXC F 2152' labeling on the device hardware or in the engineering software project files.Affected if The device is not an Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 PLC - other models are not affected by this specific CVE.
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Check the installed firmware versionAccess the PLC through the engineering software (such as PC WorX or Phoenix Contact's management tools) and navigate to the firmware information section, or inspect the boot logs or system information file on the SD card itself if accessible.Affected if The firmware version is any version lower than 2019.0 LTS (for example, 2018.x, 2017.x, or earlier). Versions 2019.0 LTS and later are not vulnerable.
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Verify SD card accessibilityInspect the physical PLC enclosure to confirm whether the SD card slot or SD card is accessible without requiring tools or breaking the enclosure seal.Affected if The SD card can be physically accessed by an attacker - the vulnerability requires an attacker to have unlimited physical access to remove or manipulate the SD card.
You are affected if you have a Phoenix Contact AXC F 2152 PLC (or Starterkit) running firmware version earlier than 2019.0 LTS, and the SD card is physically accessible to unauthorized individuals.
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 data2019.0_lts
Update PLC firmware to version 2019.0 LTS or later, and implement physical security controls (restricted access, tamper detection) around the PLC to prevent unauthorized SD card manipulation.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,968.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-10998 — 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-2019-10998 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
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