CVE-2021-22681: Rockwell Multiple Products Insufficient Protected Credentials Vulnerability

CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

Name

Rockwell Multiple Products Insufficient Protected Credentials Vulnerability

Vendor

Rockwell

Product

Multiple Products

Added to the catalog

2026-03-05

Due date for US federal agencies

2026-03-26

Weaknesses

CWE-522

Catalog version

2026.10.30

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.

Required action (CISA)

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

Ransomware use: CISA does not mark known use of this vulnerability in ransomware campaigns.

Links in CISA's notes

• https://support.rockwellautomation.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1130301/~/cve-2021-22681%3A-authentication-bypass-vulnerability-found-in-logix-controllers-
• https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-21-056-03
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22681

Read on 2026-11-02T23:39:54.475Z under licence cisa-kev-cc0@b0067899 from https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

NVD analysis

Status

Analyzed

Published

2021-03-03T18:15:14.643

Last modified

2026-06-17T03:37:34.183

Weaknesses

CWE-522

Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 Logix Designer Versions 21 and later, and RSLogix 5000 Versions 16 through 20 use a key to verify Logix controllers are communicating with Rockwell Automation CompactLogix 1768, 1769, 5370, 5380, 5480: ControlLogix 5550, 5560, 5570, 5580; DriveLogix 5560, 5730, 1794-L34; Compact GuardLogix 5370, 5380; GuardLogix 5570, 5580; SoftLogix 5800. Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 Logix Designer Versions 21 and later and RSLogix 5000: Versions 16 through 20 are vulnerable because an unauthenticated attacker could bypass this verification mechanism and authenticate with Rockwell Automation CompactLogix 1768, 1769, 5370, 5380, 5480: ControlLogix 5550, 5560, 5570, 5580; DriveLogix 5560, 5730, 1794-L34; Compact GuardLogix 5370, 5380; GuardLogix 5570, 5580; SoftLogix 5800.

References

• https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics/advisories/icsa-21-056-03 (Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
• https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics/advisories/icsa-21-056-03 (Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource)
• https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-22681 (US Government Resource)

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Read on 2026-11-02T23:41:51.476Z under licence nvd-api-terms-of-use@ff2a5288 from https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?cveId=CVE-2021-22681

CVE record

Assigner

icscert

State

PUBLISHED

Published

2021-03-03T17:59:43.000Z

Updated

2026-03-06T05:01:20.925Z

Problem types

Insufficiently Protected Credentials CWE-522

Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 Logix Designer Versions 21 and later, and RSLogix 5000 Versions 16 through 20 use a key to verify Logix controllers are communicating with Rockwell Automation CompactLogix 1768, 1769, 5370, 5380, 5480: ControlLogix 5550, 5560, 5570, 5580; DriveLogix 5560, 5730, 1794-L34; Compact GuardLogix 5370, 5380; GuardLogix 5570, 5580; SoftLogix 5800. Rockwell Automation Studio 5000 Logix Designer Versions 21 and later and RSLogix 5000: Versions 16 through 20 are vulnerable because an unauthenticated attacker could bypass this verification mechanism and authenticate with Rockwell Automation CompactLogix 1768, 1769, 5370, 5380, 5480: ControlLogix 5550, 5560, 5570, 5580; DriveLogix 5560, 5730, 1794-L34; Compact GuardLogix 5370, 5380; GuardLogix 5570, 5580; SoftLogix 5800.

References

• https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics/advisories/icsa-21-056-03

Read on 2026-11-03T01:06:22.662Z under licence cve-terms-of-use@81bfa2f3 from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/main/cves/2021/22xxx/CVE-2021-22681.json

Defensive techniques (MITRE D3FEND)

D3FEND maps these defensive techniques to the weakness (CWE) that NVD lists for this CVE, through the digital artifacts the weakness affects. D3FEND does not say they stop this vulnerability.

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