CRITICAL CVSS 9.8
Published: 2018-02-13

CVE-2018-5459

wago pfc200_firmware Security Advisory (CVE-2018-5459)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2018-5459 impacting wago pfc200_firmware. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
An Improper Authentication issue was discovered in WAGO PFC200 Series 3S CoDeSys Runtime versions 2.3.X and 2.4.X. An attacker can execute different unauthenticated remote operations because of the CoDeSys Runtime application, which is available via network by default on Port 2455. An attacker could execute some unauthenticated commands such as reading, writing, or deleting arbitrary files, or manipulate the PLC application during runtime by sending specially-crafted TCP packets to Port 2455.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product wago / pfc200_firmware
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-287

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2018-5459 impacting wago pfc200_firmware.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2018-5459.yaml
id: cve-2018-5459

info:
  name: wago pfc200_firmware - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2018-5459 affecting wago pfc200_firmware.
    Evaluation: An Improper Authentication issue was discovered in WAGO PFC200 Series 3S CoDeSys Runtime versions 2.3.X and 2.4.X. An attacker can execute different u...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2018-5459
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.8
    cve-id: CVE-2018-5459
    cwe-id: CWE-287
  tags: cve,cve-2018-5459,wago,pfc200_firmware,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "pfc200_firmware"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2018-5459.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2018-5459
# Target: wago pfc200_firmware | CVSS: 9.8 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2018-5459 (wago pfc200_firmware)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against wago pfc200_firmware scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2018-5459.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2018-5459
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install pfc200_firmware 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade pfc200_firmware 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update pfc200_firmware

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i pfc200_firmware 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i pfc200_firmware

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
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Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2018-5459 in wago pfc200_firmware?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update wago pfc200_firmware packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2018-5459?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2018-5459?

CVE-2018-5459 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.8
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2018-5459
Weakness CWE-287
Vendor wago
Product pfc200_firmware
Published 2018-02-13
Vector CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H