CVE-2023-46156
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 · uneditedAffected devices improperly handle specially crafted packets sent to port 102/tcp. This could allow an attacker to create a denial of service condition. A restart is needed to restore normal operations.
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 confidenceThis is a denial of service vulnerability in industrial control devices (likely Siemens PLCs based on port 102/tcp S7comm protocol). Specially crafted packets sent to port 102/tcp cause the device to crash and require a physical or power-cycle restart to restore normal operations.
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< 3.1.0< 3.1.0all versions< 3.1.0< 3.1.0< 3.1.0< 3.1.0< 3.1.0CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 device modelDetermine if the target device is one of the affected Siemens Simatic product families: Simatic Drive Controller (CPU 1504d Tf, CPU 1507d Tf), Simatic ET 200sp Open Control 1515sp PC2, Simatic S7 1500 CPU (1510sp F 1 Pn, 1510sp 1 Pn, 1511 1 Pn, 1511c 1 Pn, 1511f 1 Pn). Check device labeling, PLC hardware documentation, or TIA Portal project settings.Affected if The device is any of the listed Siemens Simatic product families.
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Check the installed firmware versionAccess the PLC via TIA Portal, SIMATIC Manager, or web-based device management to retrieve the firmware version. For command-line verification, use tools like plctool or snap7 to query the device over port 102/tcp, or check the device properties in the engineering software project file.Affected if The firmware version is below 3.1.0 for Simatic Drive Controller and S7 1500 CPU models, or any version for Simatic ET 200sp Open Control 1515sp PC2.
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Verify port 102/tcp is listening and accessiblePerform a TCP port scan targeting port 102 on the device IP address (e.g., nmap -p 102 -sV <device_ip>). Confirm the service responds with S7comm protocol banner or data.Affected if Port 102/tcp is open and accepting connections on the device.
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Assess network exposure of port 102/tcpReview firewall rules, network ACLs, and VLAN configurations to determine if port 102/tcp is reachable from untrusted networks, the enterprise IT network, or the internet. Use network scanning from external subnets to confirm accessibility.Affected if Port 102/tcp is reachable from untrusted network segments or directly from the internet.
The environment is affected if any Siemens Simatic device from the listed product families with firmware below 3.1.0 (or any version for ET 200sp Open Control) has port 102/tcp exposed to untrusted network segments.
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.
dbcve · scoped3.1.0
Apply vendor-provided firmware/patches when available. As an interim control, isolate affected devices behind firewalls or network segmentation to restrict access to port 102/tcp from untrusted networks.
Firmware version 3.1.0 or later for affected Simatic S7-1500 CPUs and Simatic Drive Controllers; Simatic ET 200sp Open Control 1515sp PC2 has no available patch as of this advisory
- 1. Identify the exact model number and current firmware version of the affected Simatic device
- 2. Visit Siemens Industry Online Support (support.industry.siemens.com) and navigate to the product page for your specific device
- 3. Download the latest firmware version 3.1.0 or later from the Siemens download area
- 4. Transfer the firmware file to the device using TIA Portal or the device's web interface
- 5. Follow Siemens' official firmware update procedure documented in the device manual
- 6. After updating, verify the firmware version has been correctly applied
- 7. Restart the device to ensure the new firmware is fully operational
- 8. Confirm the vulnerability is resolved by checking the security advisory for your specific firmware version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-46156 — 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-2023-46156 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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