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Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH

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Overview

A vulnerability has been identified in Rockwell Automation's ControlFLASH software, which could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with the permissions of the logged-in user. This issue affects versions of ControlFLASH up to and including 15.07, and it stems from the software granting write permissions to the 'Everyone' group on its installation directory. Users are urged to update to version 15.08, which addresses the vulnerability. For those unable to upgrade, Rockwell Automation provides a workaround to remove the 'Everyone' group from the permissions. This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it impacts critical infrastructure sectors such as manufacturing, energy, and water management, making it essential for organizations to take prompt action to mitigate potential risks. No public exploitation of this vulnerability has been reported yet, but the nature of the issue poses significant security risks.

Key Takeaways

  • Affected Systems: Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH versions <= V15.07
  • Action Required: Update to Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH version 15.
  • Timeline: Disclosed on 2026-09-03

Original Article Summary

View CSAF Summary Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could give an attacker the ability to run any commands or code of the attacker's choice on a target machine at the logged-in user's permission level. The following versions of Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH are affected: ControlFLASH <=V15.07 (CVE-2026-12663) CVSS Vendor Equipment Vulnerabilities v3 7.3 Rockwell Automation Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH Missing Authentication for Critical Function Background Critical Infrastructure Sectors: Critical Manufacturing, Energy, Water and Wastewater Countries/Areas Deployed: Worldwide Company Headquarters Location: United States Vulnerabilities Expand All + CVE-2026-12663 A security issue exists within ControlFLASH, where the installer grants write permissions to the "Everyone" group on a product installation directory. This could allow arbitrary code execution, resulting in an attacker being given the ability to run any commands or code of the attacker's choice on a target machine at the logged-in user's permission level. View CVE Details Affected Products Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH Vendor: Rockwell Automation Product Version: Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH: <=V15.07 Product Status: known_affected Remediations Mitigation Rockwell Automation has corrected this issue in software version 15.08, and encourages all users to update to the newest version. Mitigation Users of the affected software who are not able to upgrade to one of the corrected versions should implement the following mitigation: To protect the files, do the following steps to remove the Everyone group: Right-click the C:\Program Files (x86)\ControlFLASH\0001 folder, and then select Properties. In the 0001 Properties dialog, select the Security tab, and then select Edit. In the Permissions for 0001 dialog, in Group or user names, select Everyone, and then select Remove. Select OK. Mitigation If the mitigation above cannot be implemented, Rockwell Automation recommends following their security best practices. https://support.rockwellautomation.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1085012/loc/en_US#__highlight Mitigation For more information on this issue, see the Rockwell Automation security advisory at: https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/trust-center/security-advisories.html https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/trust-center/security-advisories.html Relevant CWE: CWE-306 Missing Authentication for Critical Function Metrics CVSS Version Base Score Base Severity Vector String 3.1 7.3 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 4.0 7 HIGH CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N Acknowledgments Rockwell Automation reported this vulnerability to CISA. 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 risk of exploitation of this vulnerability. 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/ics. 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/ics 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. CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks: Do not click web links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages. Refer to Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams for more information on avoiding email scams. Refer to Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks. No known public exploitation specifically targeting this vulnerability has been reported to CISA at this time. This vulnerability is not exploitable remotely. Revision History Initial Release Date: 2026-09-03 Date Revision Summary 2026-09-03 1 Initial Republication of Rockwell Automation security advisory. Legal Notice and Terms of Use

Impact

Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH versions <= V15.07

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 2026-09-03

Remediation

Update to Rockwell Automation ControlFLASH version 15.08. If unable to upgrade, remove the 'Everyone' group from the permissions on the installation directory by following these steps: Right-click the C:\Program Files (x86)\ControlFLASH\0001 folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab, select Edit, choose 'Everyone' and select Remove, then click OK.

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 Phishing, CVE, Vulnerability, and 2 more.

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