dbcve.org
RslinxApplication · Rockwellautomation

CVE-2019-6553

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-04-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.10.00 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
A vulnerability was found in Rockwell Automation RSLinx Classic versions 4.10.00 and prior. An input validation issue in a .dll file of RSLinx Classic where the data in a Forward Open service request is passed to a fixed size buffer, allowing an attacker to exploit a stack-based buffer overflow condition.

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 confidence

Stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Rockwell Automation RSLinx Classic versions 4.10.00 and prior. The Forward Open service request data is copied to a fixed-size buffer in a .dll file without proper input validation, allowing remote attackers to overflow the buffer and potentially execute arbitrary code.

MitigationApply vendor patch to obtain a version beyond 4.10.00. Until patched, network segment RSLinx Classic systems and restrict access to trusted PLC devices only.

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
RslinxApplication
Affected:<= 4.10.00

CVSS 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:3.1/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify RSLinx Classic is installed
    Check the system for RSLinx Classic installation by reviewing installed programs or searching for RSLinx Classic executable files
    Affected if RSLinx Classic is present on the system
  2. Determine installed RSLinx Classic version
    Access the program's About or Help section, or check the executable properties to retrieve the exact version number
    Affected if The version number returned is 4.10.00 or lower
  3. Compare version to affected range
    Compare the identified version against the affected range: any version less than or equal to 4.10.00 is vulnerable
    Affected if The installed version is 4.10.00 or any prior version (e.g., 4.00.00, 3.x, etc.)
  4. Assess network exposure of Forward Open service
    Determine if RSLinx Classic is listening on the network and accessible to remote systems, as the vulnerability is exploited via the Forward Open service request
    Affected if RSLinx Classic is network-accessible and the Forward Open service is enabled

A system is affected if RSLinx Classic version 4.10.00 or lower is installed and is accessible over the network for remote exploitation.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.10.00
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor patch to obtain a version beyond 4.10.00. Until patched, network segment RSLinx Classic systems and restrict access to trusted PLC devices only.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

RSLINX Classic version > 4.10.00 (contact Rockwell Automation for exact patched version)

  1. 1. Identify the current installed version of RSLinx Classic by checking the program properties or add/remove programs list
  2. 2. Navigate to the Rockwell Automation download portal or contact Rockwell Automation technical support to obtain the latest version of RSLinx Classic
  3. 3. Download the latest version of RSLinx Classic (ensure the version is newer than 4.10.00)
  4. 4. Back up any existing RSLinx project files and configurations
  5. 5. Uninstall the current version of RSLinx Classic through Windows Add/Remove Programs
  6. 6. Install the new version of RSLinx Classic using administrator privileges
  7. 7. Verify the installation was successful by checking the version number
  8. 8. Restore any backed up project files and configurations
Caveat Newer version may have configuration or compatibility changes with legacy systems; test thoroughly in non-production environment first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Rslinx Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,840
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-6553 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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