CVE-2021-22778
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 · uneditedInsufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability exists in EcoStruxure Control Expert (all versions prior to V15.0 SP1, including all versions of Unity Pro), EcoStruxure Process Expert (all versions, including all versions of EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS), and SCADAPack RemoteConnect for x70, all versions, that could cause protected derived function blocks to be read or modified by unauthorized users when accessing a project file.
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 confidenceInsufficiently Protected Credentials vulnerability in Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Control Expert, EcoStruxure Process Expert, and SCADAPack RemoteConnect allows unauthorized users to read or modify protected derived function blocks when accessing project files. This could enable attackers to extract or alter sensitive control logic in industrial control systems.
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< 15.0= 15.0all 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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.
-
Identify installed Schneider Electric productLocate the installed software name on the system - look for EcoStruxure Control Expert, EcoStruxure Process Expert, or SCADAPack RemoteConnect in installed programs or program files directoryAffected if The installed product is any of these three software packages
-
Check EcoStruxure Control Expert versionOpen the software and navigate to Help > About, or check the version in the installation directory. Compare the version number to the affected range: versions < 15.0 and version = 15.0 are vulnerableAffected if The installed version is 15.0 or earlier (before 15.0 SP1)
-
Verify EcoStruxure Process Expert installationCheck for EcoStruxure Process Expert installation on the system - look in the programs list or installation directoryAffected if EcoStruxure Process Expert is installed (all versions are affected)
-
Verify SCADAPack RemoteConnect installationCheck for SCADAPack RemoteConnect installation on the system - look in the programs list or installation directoryAffected if SCADAPack RemoteConnect is installed (all versions are affected)
-
Inspect project file access controlsExamine the file permissions on project files created by these applications. Check if unauthorized users or groups can read or modify .xml, .stu, or other project file types stored in the project directoriesAffected if Project files have weak permissions allowing unauthorized access or are stored in shared/network locations with broad access
A system is affected if it runs EcoStruxure Control Expert version 15.0 or earlier, or any version of EcoStruxure Process Expert or SCADAPack RemoteConnect, with project files accessible to unauthorized users.
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 data15.0
Upgrade EcoStruxure Control Expert to V15.0 SP1 or later. For EcoStruxure Process Expert and SCADAPack RemoteConnect, contact Schneider Electric for patched versions. Implement strict access controls on project files and monitor for unauthorized access.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-22778 — 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-2021-22778 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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