CVEs / CVE-2012-6438
CVE-2012-6438: Rockwell Automation 1756-ENBT, 1756-EWEB, 1768-ENBT, 1768-EWEB communication modules vulnerability
- high 7.8 CVSS 2.0 (NVD)
- EPSS 35.5% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of CVEs (1 Nov 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
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Description
The device does not properly validate the data being sent to the buffer. An attacker can send a malformed CIP packet to Port 2222/TCP, Port 2222/UDP, Port 44818/TCP, or Port 44818/UDP, which creates a buffer overflow and causes the NIC to crash. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could cause loss of availability and a disruption in communications with other connected devices. Rockwell Automation EtherNet/IP products; 1756-ENBT, 1756-EWEB, 1768-ENBT, and 1768-EWEB communication modules; CompactLogix L32E and L35E controllers; 1788-ENBT FLEXLogix adapter; 1794-AENTR FLEX I/O EtherNet/IP adapter; ControlLogix 18 and earlier; CompactLogix 18 and earlier; GuardLogix 18 and earlier; SoftLogix 18 and earlier; CompactLogix controllers 19 and earlier; SoftLogix controllers 19 and earlier; ControlLogix controllers 20 and earlier; GuardLogix controllers 20 and earlier; and MicroLogix 1100 and 1400
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Rockwell Automation 1756-ENBT, 1756-EWEB, 1768-ENBT, 1768-EWEB communication modules | All | — |
| Rockwell Automation CompactLogix L32E and L35E controllers | All | — |
| Rockwell Automation 1788-ENBT FLEXLogix adapter | All | — |
| Rockwell Automation 1794-AENTR FLEX I/O EtherNet/IP adapter | All | — |
| Rockwell Automation ControlLogix, CompactLogix, GuardLogix, and SoftLogix | up to and including 18 | — |
| Rockwell Automation CompactLogix and SoftLogix controllers | up to and including 19 | — |
| Rockwell Automation ControlLogix and GuardLogix controllers | up to and including 20 | — |
| Rockwell Automation MicroLogix | 1100 | — |
| Rockwell Automation MicroLogix | 1400 | — |
Exploitation
Not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as of 30 Oct 2026.
Severity
| CVSS 2.0 | 7.8 highAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:CScored by NVD |
|---|---|
| Weakness | CWE-119 |
References
- CVE-2012-6438 on NVD
- http://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/54102
- https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/470154
- https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/aid/470155
- https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/aid/470156
- https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-13-011-03
- http://www.us-cert.gov/control_systems/pdf/ICSA-13-011-03.pdf US Government Resource
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.