HIGH CVSS 7.5
Published: 2020-12-14

CVE-2020-15796

siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware Security Advisory (CVE-2020-15796)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-15796 impacting siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller (incl. SIPLUS variants) (V20.8), SIMATIC S7-1500 Software Controller (V20.8). The web server of the affected products contains a vulnerability that could allow a remote attacker to trigger a denial-of-service condition by sending a specially crafted HTTP request.

📊 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
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product siemens / simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-248

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-2020-15796 impacting siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-15796.yaml
id: cve-2020-15796

info:
  name: siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-15796 affecting siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware.
    Evaluation: A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller (incl. SIPLUS variants) (V20.8), SIMATIC S7-1500 Software Controller (V20.8). ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-15796
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.5
    cve-id: CVE-2020-15796
    cwe-id: CWE-248
  tags: cve,cve-2020-15796,siemens,simatic_et_200sp_open_con,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-15796.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-15796
# Target: siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware | CVSS: 7.5 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2020-15796 (siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_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 siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_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-2020-15796.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-15796
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install simatic_et_200sp_open_con 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade simatic_et_200sp_open_con 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update simatic_et_200sp_open_con

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i simatic_et_200sp_open_con 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i simatic_et_200sp_open_con

# 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
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2020-15796 in siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update siemens simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_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-2020-15796?

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-2020-15796?

CVE-2020-15796 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.5
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2020-15796
Weakness CWE-248
Vendor siemens
Product simatic_et_200sp_open_controller_firmware
Published 2020-12-14
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H