Critical

Siemens SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced

All CISA Advisories

Overview

Siemens has identified a vulnerability in its SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced software that could lead to a denial of service (DoS) condition. This issue arises from the software's inability to manage high-volume multicast network traffic, which can deplete available memory resources and make the application inaccessible. Although no project data is lost during this downtime, the affected application needs to be manually restarted. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-54429, impacts all versions of the SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced software and can be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker on the local network. Siemens is currently working on fixes and recommends users take specific countermeasures to mitigate the risk until updates are available.

Key Takeaways

  • Affected Systems: Siemens SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced (all versions), CVE-2026-54429
  • Action Required: Disable the S7-PLCSIM Virtual Switch binding on the network adapter used by the affected instance.
  • Timeline: Disclosed on 2026-07-14

Original Article Summary

View CSAF Summary SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced contains a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to cause a denial of service condition. Siemens is preparing fix versions and recommends specific countermeasures for products where fixes are not, or not yet available. The following versions of Siemens SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced are affected: SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced vers:all/* (CVE-2026-54429) CVSS Vendor Equipment Vulnerabilities v3 7.4 Siemens Siemens SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling Background Critical Infrastructure Sectors: Critical Manufacturing Countries/Areas Deployed: Worldwide Company Headquarters Location: Germany Vulnerabilities Expand All + CVE-2026-54429 Affected devices do not properly handle high-volume multicast network traffic, which can exhaust available memory resources in the affected application. This could allow an unauthenticated attacker on the local network segment to cause a denial-of-service condition of the affected application. The affected application becomes inaccessible and requires a manual restart; no project data is lost. Successful exploitation requires a specific project configuration to be already active on the targeted instance. View CVE Details Affected Products Siemens SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced Vendor: Siemens Product Version: SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced Product Status: known_affected Remediations Mitigation Disable the S7-PLCSIM Virtual Switch binding on the network adapter used by the affected instance. This prevents the adapter from entering an external communication mode and removes the attack vector entirely. (see SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced Function Manual V8.0, 11/2025 Section 5.3 and Section 6.1.2.3; and SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced Function Manual API V8.0, 11/2025 Section 7.2) Mitigation Restrict multicast traffic on the network segment hosting the SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced host. Mitigation Use 'Softbus' / 'PLCSIM' network mode. This mode does not accept any packets from the network. This mode is a default network mode. (see SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced Function Manual V8.0, 11/2025 Section 5.0 and Section 5.1; and SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced Function Manual API V8.0, 11/2025 Section 7.2) None available Currently no fix is available Relevant CWE: CWE-770 Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling Metrics CVSS Version Base Score Base Severity Vector String 3.1 7.4 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H Acknowledgments Siemens ProductCERT reported this vulnerability to CISA. General Recommendations As a general security measure, Siemens strongly recommends to protect network access to devices with appropriate mechanisms. In order to operate the devices in a protected IT environment, Siemens recommends to configure the environment according to Siemens' operational guidelines for Industrial Security (Download: https://www.siemens.com/cert/operational-guidelines-industrial-security), and to follow the recommendations in the product manuals. Additional information on Industrial Security by Siemens can be found at: https://www.siemens.com/industrialsecurity Additional Resources For further inquiries on security vulnerabilities in Siemens products and solutions, please contact the Siemens ProductCERT: https://www.siemens.com/cert/advisories Terms of Use The use of Siemens Security Advisories is subject to the terms and conditions listed on: https://www.siemens.com/productcert/terms-of-use. Legal Notice and Terms of Use This product is provided subject to this Notification (https://www.cisa.gov/notification) and this Privacy & Use policy (https://www.cisa.gov/privacy-policy). Recommended Practices CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the exploitation risk of these vulnerabilities. Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, and ensure they are not accessible from the internet. Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolate them from business networks. When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most recent version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as its connected devices. CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures. CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies. CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets. Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B--Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies. Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents. Advisory Conversion Disclaimer This ICSA is a verbatim republication of Siemens ProductCERT SSA-828211 from a direct conversion of the vendor's Common Security Advisory Framework (CSAF) advisory. This is republished to CISA's website as a means of increasing visibility and is provided "as-is" for informational purposes only. CISA is not responsible for the editorial or technical accuracy of republished advisories and provides no warranties of any kind regarding any information contained within this advisory. Further, CISA does not endorse any commercial product or service. Please contact Siemens ProductCERT directly for any questions regarding this advisory. Revision History Initial Release Date: 2026-07-14 Date Revision Summary 2026-07-14 1 Publication Date 2026-07-28 2 Initial CISA Republication of Siemens ProductCERT SSA-828211 advisory Legal Notice and Terms of Use

Impact

Siemens SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced (all versions), CVE-2026-54429

Exploitation Status

No active exploitation has been reported at this time. However, organizations should still apply patches promptly as proof-of-concept code may exist.

Timeline

Disclosed on 2026-07-14

Remediation

Disable the S7-PLCSIM Virtual Switch binding on the network adapter used by the affected instance. Restrict multicast traffic on the network segment hosting the SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM Advanced host. Use 'Softbus' / 'PLCSIM' network mode, which does not accept any packets from the network.

Additional Information

This threat intelligence is aggregated from trusted cybersecurity sources. For the most up-to-date information, technical details, and official vendor guidance, please refer to the original article linked below.

Related Topics: This incident relates to CVE, Vulnerability, Critical.

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