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CRITICAL

CVE-2021-32986

CVE-2021-32986 — Automation Direct CLICK PLC CPU Modules Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel

After Automation Direct CLICK PLC CPU Modules: C0-1x CPUs with firmware prior to v3.00 is unlocked by an authorized user, the unlocked state does not timeout. If the programming software is interrupted, the PLC remains unlocked. All subsequent programming connections are allowed without authorization. The PLC is only relocked by a power cycle, or when the programming software disconnects correctly.

Published Updated Sources: cvelistV5, icscert

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.

Exploitation

Unreported

no source claims exploitation

EPSS

1%

chance of exploitation in 30 days

Affects

automation direct

click_plc_cpu_modules_c0_1x_cpus

CVSS base

9.8

CRITICAL

CISA SSVC assessment

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

CISA

Exploitation

None

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

Yes

can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Total

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Affected scope

The catalog records vendors and products as separate lists, not pairs, so which product belongs to which vendor is not something this page can say.

Products (1)

click plc cpu modules c0 1x cpus

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

ScoreVersionSeverityExpl.ImpactSource
9.8CVSS 3.1CRITICAL——cvelistV5

Weakness & attack patterns

  • CWE-288

Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.

  • T1083File and Directory Discovery
  • T1211Exploitation for Defensive Evasion
  • T1542.002Pre-OS Boot: Component Firmware

References

1 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.