CRITICAL CVSS 9.3
Published: 2022-10-11

CVE-2022-38465

siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware Security Advisory (CVE-2022-38465)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2022-38465 impacting siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.3 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC Drive Controller family (All versions < V2.9.2), SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions), SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC2 (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V21.9), SIMATIC S7-1200 CPU family (incl. SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V4.5.0), SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU family (incl. related ET200 CPUs and SIPLUS variants) (All versions < V2.9.2), SIMATIC S7-1500 Software Controller (All versions < V21.9), SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced (All versions < V4.0), SINUMERIK MC (All versions < V6.21), SINUMERIK ONE (All versions < V6.21). Affected products protect the built-in global private key in a way that cannot be considered sufficient any longer. The key is used for the legacy protection of confidential configuration data and the legacy PG/PC and HMI communication. This could allow attackers to discover the private key of a CPU product family by an offline attack against a single CPU of the family. Attackers could then use this knowledge to extract confidential configuration data from projects that are protected by that key or to perform attacks against legacy PG/PC and HMI communication.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
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
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
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 siemens / simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-522

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-2022-38465 impacting siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2022-38465.yaml
id: cve-2022-38465

info:
  name: siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2022-38465 affecting siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware.
    Evaluation: A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC Drive Controller family (All versions &lt; V2.9.2), SIMATIC ET 200SP Open Controller CPU 1515SP PC (inc...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2022-38465
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.3
    cve-id: CVE-2022-38465
    cwe-id: CWE-522
  tags: cve,cve-2022-38465,siemens,simatic_et_200_sp_open_co,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2022-38465.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2022-38465
# Target: siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware | CVSS: 9.3 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2022-38465 (siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_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_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_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-2022-38465.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2022-38465
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install simatic_et_200_sp_open_co 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade simatic_et_200_sp_open_co 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update simatic_et_200_sp_open_co

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i simatic_et_200_sp_open_co 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i simatic_et_200_sp_open_co

# 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.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2022-38465 in siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update siemens simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_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-2022-38465?

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-2022-38465?

CVE-2022-38465 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.3 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.3
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2022-38465
Weakness CWE-522
Vendor siemens
Product simatic_et_200_sp_open_controller_cpu_1515sp_pc2_firmware
Published 2022-10-11
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H