CVE-2026-24349
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 · uneditedA vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime V16 (All versions), SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime V17 (All versions), SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime V18 (All versions), SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime V19 (All versions), SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime V20 (All versions), SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime V21 (All versions < V21 Update 2). Insufficient protection of key material in WinCC Certificate Manager that could allow an attacker to extract sensitive information.
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 confidenceInsufficient protection of cryptographic key material in the WinCC Certificate Manager of SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime allows an attacker with local or physical access to extract sensitive information such as certificates or private keys, potentially enabling further attacks including authentication bypass or man-in-the-middle scenarios.
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>= 16, <= 20= 21CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/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.
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Identify WinCC Unified PC Runtime versionCheck the installed version of SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime in Windows Programs and Features or by querying the installed software inventory. Look for entries showing WinCC Unified PC Runtime and note the version number and any Update level.Affected if The installed version is V16, V17, V18, V19, V20, or V21 without Update 2 applied (e.g., V21.0.1). Version ranges >=16 and <=20 are affected, and V21 prior to Update 2.
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Locate WinCC Certificate Manager componentCheck if the WinCC Certificate Manager component is installed on the system. This is typically found in the SIMATIC WinCC installation directory or as a Windows service related to certificate management.Affected if The Certificate Manager component is present on the system, which enables the vulnerable functionality for managing certificates and private keys.
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Examine certificate storage locationsInspect the directories where WinCC stores certificates and private keys. Common locations include the WinCC installation folder, AppData directories, or configured certificate stores. Look for .cer, .crt, .pem, .pfx, .key, or .p12 files.Affected if Certificate or private key files exist in locations accessible to low-privilege users, indicating insufficient protection of key material.
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Verify file permissions on certificate assetsUse Windows file permission checks (icacls or similar) on certificate and key files used by WinCC Certificate Manager to determine if non-administrative accounts can read sensitive cryptographic material.Affected if Certificate files or private keys have overly permissive access controls allowing unauthorized reading of sensitive key material.
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Check Windows Event Logs for certificate accessReview Windows Security and Application Event Logs for any suspicious or unauthorized access events related to certificate files, certificate manager operations, or cryptographic key access.Affected if Event logs show unexpected access to certificate or key files, indicating potential exploitation or unauthorized access to sensitive material.
You are affected if WinCC Unified PC Runtime V16 through V21 (prior to Update 2) is installed and the Certificate Manager component is in use, as this combination allows insufficiently protected cryptographic material to be extracted.
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 · scopedApply Siemens security updates for affected versions (V21 Update 2 or later), review and rotate any exposed certificates/keys, and ensure WinCC Certificate Manager files are protected by appropriate file system permissions and encryption at rest.
SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime V21 Update 2 or later (latest available V21/V22 release)
- 1. Identify the currently installed SIMATIC WinCC Unified PC Runtime version through the Siemens TIA Portal or system information
- 2. If running version 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20: plan upgrade path to version 21 Update 2 or later
- 3. If running version 21: verify current update level; if below Update 2, plan upgrade to V21 Update 2 or later
- 4. Obtain the updated installer from Siemens Industry Online Support or the cert-portal reference
- 5. Create a complete backup of the current project and runtime configuration
- 6. Apply the upgrade in a test environment first to validate compatibility
- 7. After testing, apply the update during a planned maintenance window
- 8. Verify the WinCC Certificate Manager now properly protects key material
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $12,352.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-24349 — 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-2026-24349 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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