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Missing AuthenticationWeakness · CWE-306

CVE-2024-45483

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v4.0 Published 2025-03-25
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
75/100
Remediation priority · High
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 Missing Authentication for Critical Function vulnerability in the GRUB configuration used B&R APROL <4.4-01 may allow an unauthenticated physical attacker to alter the boot configuration of the operating system.

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 confidence

A Missing Authentication for Critical Function vulnerability exists in the GRUB bootloader configuration of B&R APROL versions prior to 4.4-01. An unauthenticated attacker with physical access can modify the GRUB boot configuration to alter how the operating system boots, potentially enabling persistent compromise or denial of service.

MitigationUpdate B&R APROL to version 4.4-01 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Additionally, implement physical security controls (locked cabinets, restricted access to server rooms, boot password protection) to prevent unauthorized physical access to the affected systems.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

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
Physical
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
Authentication
X
User interaction
None
Scope
X

CVSS:4.0/AV:P/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

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 B&R APROL installation and version
    Locate B&R APROL installation directories or check system information for APROL version. Common locations include /usr/local/br_apl, /opt/aprol, or check B&R-specific system files. Compare the installed version against 4.4-01.
    Affected if The system runs B&R APROL with a version number lower than 4.4-01
  2. Verify GRUB bootloader is in use
    Check if the system uses GRUB as its bootloader. Inspect /boot/grub/menu.lst, /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, or /etc/default/grub. Look for GRUB configuration files in /boot/ partition.
    Affected if GRUB is used as the bootloader on the system
  3. Check GRUB password protection status
    Inspect GRUB configuration files for password or superuser directives. Look for 'password', 'superusers', or 'set superusers' entries in /boot/grub/menu.lst, /boot/grub2/grub.cfg, or /etc/grub.d/* files.
    Affected if GRUB configuration lacks password or superuser authentication directives, allowing unrestricted access to GRUB menu editing
  4. Inspect GRUB configuration file permissions
    Check file permissions on GRUB configuration files (e.g., /boot/grub/menu.lst, /boot/grub2/grub.cfg) using 'ls -la'. Verify if files are writable by non-root users.
    Affected if GRUB configuration files have weak permissions (world-writable or group-writable) or ownership allows unauthorized modification
  5. Verify physical boot access controls
    Assess whether the boot device (HDD/SSD) is accessible without physical security measures. Check if the system allows boot order changes without BIOS/UEFI password protection.
    Affected if Physical access to boot media or boot configuration is not restricted by BIOS/UEFI passwords or physical locks

A system is affected if it runs B&R APROL versions prior to 4.4-01 and uses GRUB without password protection or authentication controls on its bootloader configuration.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update B&R APROL to version 4.4-01 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Additionally, implement physical security controls (locked cabinets, restricted access to server rooms, boot password protection) to prevent unauthorized physical access to the affected systems.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

B&R APROL 4.4-01 or later

  1. Contact B&R Automation directly to obtain the specific patched version (request security advisory for CVE-2024-45483)
  2. Verify the current APROL version by checking System > About or using the version command
  3. If current version is below 4.4-01, plan for upgrade to 4.4-01 or later release
  4. Schedule maintenance window for the upgrade process
  5. Before upgrading, back up all APROL configurations and data
  6. Apply the upgrade following B&R's standard upgrade documentation
  7. After upgrade, verify GRUB configuration is properly secured with authentication enabled
  8. Confirm the vulnerability is resolved by verifying boot configuration cannot be altered without authentication
Caveat Review B&R release notes for 4.4-01 for any compatibility or configuration changes before upgrading

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
24.0 hours of engineering $4,260
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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-2024-45483 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data