Is CVE-2012-6438 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2012-6438 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2012-6438 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2012-6438 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2012-6438?

CVE-2012-6438 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2012-6438

HIGH

CVE-2012-6438

CWE-119Published: January 24, 2013· Updated: Jun 16, 2026

7.5

CVSS v3.1

Official 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

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2012-6438 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityNone

IntegrityNone

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

rockwellautomation17 product(s)

controllogix controllersguardlogix controllersmicrologixsoftlogix controllers1756-enbt1756-eweb1768-enbt1768-eweb1794-aentr flex i\/o ethernet\/ip adaptercompactlogixcompactlogix controllerscompactlogix l32e controller+5

Source: NVD CPE · 17 total CPE entries