HighPublic exploit

Denial of Service in Rockwell Automation RSLinx Classic Ethernet/IP Server

IdentifiersCVE-2020-13573CWE-125

CVE-2020-13573 affects the Ethernet/IP server functionality in Rockwell Automation RSLinx Classic. The provided content states that specially crafted network requests, including a sequence of malicious packets, can trigger the flaw and cause the application to become unresponsive. The supporting advisory material associates the issue with CWE-125 (out-of-bounds read), while also noting that the affected product is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow. Based on the supplied information, the primary observed effect is denial of service in RSLinx Classic, with advisory language also indicating the memory corruption condition may permit remote arbitrary code execution. Affected versions in the supplied content include RSLinx Classic 4.50.00 and earlier; one mention also references 2.57.00.14 CPR 9 SR 3.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation can cause a denial-of-service condition in which the RSLinx Classic application becomes unresponsive and does not recover on its own. The supplied advisory context also states that the underlying memory corruption may allow remote execution of arbitrary code, although the provided CVSS vectors and primary description emphasize availability impact. At minimum, exploitation can disrupt industrial communications services dependent on RSLinx Classic; based on the supporting content, there is also a potential for remote code execution.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

If immediate remediation is not possible, reduce exposure of RSLinx Classic systems by ensuring they are not directly accessible from the internet, segmenting control networks from business networks, and placing affected systems behind firewalls. Restrict remote access paths and use fully updated VPN solutions where remote connectivity is required. Apply defense-in-depth controls and perform risk and impact analysis before implementing changes in operational environments.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade RSLinx Classic to a fixed version not affected by CVE-2020-13573. The supplied content indicates that versions 4.50.00 and earlier are affected, so remediation is to move to a later vendor-supported release and apply the relevant Rockwell Automation advisory guidance for this CVE. Organizations should validate upgrade plans through normal ICS change-management and impact-assessment processes before deployment.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

Rockwell AutomationRslinxapplication

Rockwell AutomationRslinx Classicapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

3 sources tracked across advisories and community write-ups. News coverage will land here when it surfaces.

3 SOURCESView more in app

No news coverage yet. Advisories and community discussion only.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity1

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2020-13573

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-13573

MITRE CWE · CWE-125

cwe.mitre.org

Third Party Advisory

talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2020-1184