CVE-2021-22681

What the flaw is

Multiple Rockwell products contain an insufficient protected credentials vulnerability. Studio 5000 Logix Designer software may allow a key to be discovered. This key is used to verify Logix controllers are communicating with Rockwell Automation design software. If successfully exploited, this vulnerability could allow an unauthorized application to connect with Logix controllers. To leverage this vulnerability, an unauthorized user would require network access to the controller.

Description as published by CISA. We have not independently reproduced it.

What CISA requires

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

This deadline is binding on US federal civilian agencies under BOD 22-01. It is not a legal deadline for anyone else, but it is a useful urgency signal — CISA sets it by how actively the flaw is being used, not by CVSS.

Public exploit code

1 public repository referencing this CVE has been catalogued on GitHub. Treat this as a strong signal to prioritise patching, not as a verified working exploit — many such repositories are scanners, write-ups or forks rather than functional code.

• ARPSyndicate/cvemon

Vendor advisories

• support.rockwellautomation.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1130301/~/cve-2021
• www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-21-056-03
• nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22681

Primary sources

• NVD entry — CVSS score, CPE list and references
• CISA KEV catalog — the source for this page
• CVE Record at cve.org