CVE-2021-22681
9.8 · CRITICAL Actively ExploitedOverview
CVE-2021-22681 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting rockwellautomation factorytalk_services_platform. It was published on March 3, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild.
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 Logix Designer Versions 21 and later, and RSLogix 5000 Versions 16 through 20 use a key to verify Logix controllers are communicating with Rockwell Automation CompactLogix 1768, 1769, 5370, 5380, 5480: ControlLogix 5550, 5560, 5570, 5580; DriveLogix 5560, 5730, 1794-L34; Compact GuardLogix 5370, 5380; GuardLogix 5570, 5580; SoftLogix 5800. Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 Logix Designer Versions 21 and later and RSLogix 5000: Versions 16 through 20 are vulnerable because an unauthenticated attacker could bypass this verification mechanism and authenticate with Rockwell Automation CompactLogix 1768, 1769, 5370, 5380, 5480: ControlLogix 5550, 5560, 5570, 5580; DriveLogix 5560, 5730, 1794-L34; Compact GuardLogix 5370, 5380; GuardLogix 5570, 5580; SoftLogix 5800.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from rockwellautomation. Update factorytalk_services_platform to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| rockwellautomation | factorytalk_services_platform | 2.10 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | rslogix_5000 | 16 | Affected |
| rockwellautomation | studio_5000_logix_designer | 21.0 | Affected |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-22681?
CVE-2021-22681 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting rockwellautomation factorytalk_services_platform. It was published on March 3, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2021-22681?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2021-22681?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from rockwellautomation. Update factorytalk_services_platform to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2021-22681?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2021-22681 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
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