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Simatic Et 200 Sp Open Controller Cpu 1515sp Pc2 FirmwareOperating system · Siemens

CVE-2022-38465

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-10-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.9.2 / 4.5.0 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 has been identified in SIMATIC Drive Controller family (All versions < V2.9.2), SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions), SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC2 (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V21.9), SIMATIC S7-1200 CPU family (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V4.5.0), SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU family (incl. related ET200 CPUs and SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V2.9.2), SIMATIC S7-1500 Software Controller (All versions < V21.9), SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced (All versions < V4.0), SINUMERIK MC (All versions < V6.21), SINUMERIK ONE (All versions < V6.21). Affected products protect the built-in global private key in a way that cannot be considered sufficient any longer. The key is used for the legacy protection of confidential configuration data and the legacy PG/PC and HMI communication. This could allow attackers to discover the private key of a CPU product family by an offline attack against a single CPU of the family. Attackers could then use this knowledge to extract confidential configuration data from projects that are protected by that key or to perform attacks against legacy PG/PC and HMI communication.

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

Siemens SIMATIC controllers contain an insufficiently protected global private key embedded in firmware. Attackers can obtain a single CPU device or its firmware image and perform offline cryptanalysis to recover the private key. This key was used for legacy protection of confidential configuration data and legacy PG/PC and HMI communication, allowing attackers to decrypt protected projects or impersonate legitimate PLC communication.

MitigationUpgrade affected devices to version V2.9.2, V4.5.0, V21.9, V6.21, or V4.0 (product-dependent) to receive patched firmware with regenerated cryptographic keys. For systems that cannot be immediately updated, implement strict network segmentation and restrict physical access to prevent attackers from obtaining firmware images.

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
Simatic Et 200 Sp Open Controller Cpu 1515sp Pc2 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 21.9
Simatic Et 200 Sp Open Controller Cpu 1515sp Pc FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Simatic Drive Controller Cpu 1504d Tf FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 2.9.2
Simatic Drive Controller Cpu 1507d Tf FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 2.9.2
Simatic S7 1200 Cpu 12 1211c FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 4.5.0
Simatic S7 1200 Cpu 12 1212c FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 4.5.0
Simatic S7 1200 Cpu 12 1212fc FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 4.5.0
Simatic S7 1200 Cpu 12 1214fc FirmwareOperating system
Affected:< 4.5.0

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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. Identify the controller model
    Access the PLC via TIA Portal, SIMATIC Manager, or the device's web interface to retrieve the exact product model number (e.g., CPU 1515SP PC2, CPU 1214FC)
    Affected if The model matches any of the affected products listed in the CVE (ET 200 SP Open Controller, Drive Controller 1504D/1507D, or S7-1200 series)
  2. Retrieve the firmware version
    In TIA Portal, go to the device properties or online diagnostics. Alternatively, use the device's web-based management interface or access the controller via Profinet/PROFIBUS diagnostics to read the firmware version
    Affected if The firmware version is below the safe threshold for that model (1515SP PC2: <21.9, 1504D/1507D TF: <2.9.2, S7-1200 121x: <4.5.0, or 1515SP PC: all versions)
  3. Verify if legacy project protection is used
    Inspect any stored TIA Portal project files or backup configurations for evidence of legacy PG/PC or HMI communication protection methods that rely on the global private key
    Affected if Legacy protection features are used to encrypt confidential configuration data in projects deployed to the affected controller
  4. Assess physical and firmware access exposure
    Review network segmentation and physical security controls to determine if an attacker could obtain the physical device or extract a firmware image for offline cryptanalysis
    Affected if The controller is accessible on insufficiently segmented networks or in physically insecure locations where firmware extraction is feasible

Your environment is affected if you have any of the listed controller models running firmware versions below the safe thresholds, especially if legacy protection is used or physical/network access controls are weak.

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 2.9.2 / 4.5.0 / 21.9 or later
Fixed in 2.9.24.5.021.9
Interim mitigation

Upgrade affected devices to version V2.9.2, V4.5.0, V21.9, V6.21, or V4.0 (product-dependent) to receive patched firmware with regenerated cryptographic keys. For systems that cannot be immediately updated, implement strict network segmentation and restrict physical access to prevent attackers from obtaining firmware images.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to firmware V4.5.0 (S7-1200), V21.9 (ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC2), or V2.9.2 (Drive Controller) as appropriate for your device model

  1. 1. Identify the specific Siemens SIMATIC device model and current firmware version from the device or TIA Portal project.
  2. 2. For Simatic S7-1200 CPU family: Upgrade firmware to version 4.5.0 or later.
  3. 3. For Simatic ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC2: Upgrade firmware to version 21.9 or later.
  4. 4. For Simatic ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC: Contact Siemens for guidance as all versions are affected; consider upgrading to latest available version.
  5. 5. For Simatic Drive Controller CPU 1504d TF and 1507d TF: Upgrade firmware to version 2.9.2 or later.
  6. 6. After upgrading, review and re-protect confidential configuration data using updated protection mechanisms.
  7. 7. If available, enable modern authentication and encryption methods beyond legacy PG/PC and HMI communication.
  8. 8. Verify the upgrade does not disrupt existing industrial processes before deploying to production environments.
Caveat Firmware updates may require TIA Portal version compatibility check and could affect legacy communication configurations; test thoroughly in a non-production environment

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

Fix this in Simatic Et 200 Sp Open Controller Cpu 1515sp Pc2 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
36.0 hours of engineering $6,400
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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-2022-38465 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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