HIGH CVSS 7.5
Published: 2020-12-29

CVE-2020-5801

rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx Security Advisory (CVE-2020-5801)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2020-5801 impacting rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
An attacker can craft and send an OpenNamespace message to port 4241 with valid session-id that triggers an unhandled exception in CFTLDManager::HandleRequest function in RnaDaSvr.dll, resulting in process termination. Observed in FactoryTalk Linx 6.11. All versions of FactoryTalk Linx are affected.

📊 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 rockwellautomation / factorytalk_linx
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-755

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-2020-5801 impacting rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2020-5801.yaml
id: cve-2020-5801

info:
  name: rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2020-5801 affecting rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx.
    Evaluation: An attacker can craft and send an OpenNamespace message to port 4241 with valid session-id that triggers an unhandled exception in CFTLDManager::Handl...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2020-5801
  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-2020-5801
    cwe-id: CWE-755
  tags: cve,cve-2020-5801,rockwellautomation,factorytalk_linx,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "factorytalk_linx"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2020-5801.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2020-5801
# Target: rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx | 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-2020-5801 (rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx)...")
    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 rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx 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-2020-5801.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2020-5801
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install factorytalk_linx 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade factorytalk_linx 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update factorytalk_linx

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

# 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-2020-5801 in rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update rockwellautomation factorytalk_linx 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-2020-5801?

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-2020-5801?

CVE-2020-5801 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-2020-5801
Weakness CWE-755
Vendor rockwellautomation
Product factorytalk_linx
Published 2020-12-29
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H