Vulnerability Snapshot
CVE-2012-6437 is rated CRITICAL — exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.
Affected technology: controllogix_controllers, guardlogix_controllers, micrologix, softlogix_controllers, 1756-enbt, plus 5 other product variants.
Executive Summary
The device does not properly authenticate users and the potential exists for a remote user to upload a new firmware image to the Ethernet card, whether it is a corrupt or legitimate firmware image. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could cause loss of availability, integrity, and confidentiality and a disruption in communications with other connected devices.
Rockwell Automation EtherNet/IP products; 1756-ENBT, 1756-EWEB, 1768-ENBT, and 1768-EWEB communication modules; CompactLogix L32E and L35E controllers; 1788-ENBT FLEXLogix adapter; 1794-AENTR FLEX I/O EtherNet/IP adapter; ControlLogix 18 and earlier; CompactLogix 18 and earlier; GuardLogix 18 and earlier; SoftLogix 18 and earlier; CompactLogix controllers 19 and earlier; SoftLogix controllers 19 and earlier; ControlLogix controllers 20 and earlier; GuardLogix controllers 20 and earlier; and MicroLogix 1100 and 1400
Why It Matters
CVE-2012-6437 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.
CVSS Base Score: 9.8/10
EPSS (Exploit Prediction): 11.8% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
Affected Technologies
Vendors: rockwellautomation
Products: controllogix_controllers, guardlogix_controllers, micrologix, softlogix_controllers, 1756-enbt, 1756-eweb, 1768-enbt, 1768-eweb, 1794-aentr_flex_i\/o_ethernet\/ip_adapter, compactlogix, compactlogix_controllers, compactlogix_l32e_controller, compactlogix_l35e_controller, controllogix, flexlogix_1788-enbt_adapter, guardlogix, softlogix
🛡️What Defenders Should Check
Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2012-6437 and similar vulnerabilities.
References & Sources
How Vulnios Detects This
Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using Nuclei templates that probe live HTTP surfaces for the published exploit pattern. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.
AI Security Advisor
Powered by Gemini
Get AI-powered security recommendations tailored to this specific threat — including risk assessment, detection guidance, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, and actionable remediation steps.
Affected Products
Sources
Related Threat Alerts
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2015-6490 — rockwellautomation — micrologix_1100_firmware, micrologix_1400_firmware
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2020-6990 — rockwellautomation — micrologix_1400_a_firmware, micrologix_1400_b_firmware
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-4522 — rockwellautomation — factorytalk_energrymetrix
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2016-0868 — rockwellautomation — ab_micrologix_controller, 1763-l16awa_series_a
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2017-7899 — rockwellautomation — 1763-l16awa_series_a, 1763-l16awa_series_b
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2017-7902 — rockwellautomation — 1763-l16awa_series_a, 1763-l16awa_series_b
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2012-6437?
CVE-2012-6437 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. The device does not properly authenticate users and the potential exists for a remote user to upload a new firmware image to the Ethernet card, whether it is a corrupt or legitimate firmware image. Su
Am I affected?
Check whether your environment runs controllogix_controllers, guardlogix_controllers, micrologix, softlogix_controllers, 1756-enbt. If you operate any of those, treat yourself as in scope until you have evidence otherwise. A Vulnios scan will identify the exact assets carrying the affected version.
How urgent is the response?
Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.
How do I remediate?
Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.
Where can I track exploitation activity?
Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2012-6437. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.
How does Vulnios help with this?
Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.
Protect Your Organization
Monitor CVEs, scan for vulnerabilities, and get real-time threat alerts — all in one platform.
Get instant alerts on Telegram
Join our public channel for real-time critical CVE alerts.
Follow @vulnios