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VulnerabilitiesSep 1, 2026

Rockwell Automation ControlLogix, CompactLogix, CompactLogix 5480, GuardLogix, Compact GuardLogix

Rockwell Automation industrial controllers vulnerable to denial of service via crafted data.

Rockwell Automation has identified a denial-of-service vulnerability (CVE-2021-42260) affecting multiple ControlLogix, CompactLogix, GuardLogix, and Compact GuardLogix products. Exploitation can lead to a major nonrecoverable fault, requiring a program download or stage 2 reset to recover. Rockwell Automation recommends updating firmware to specific versions to remediate.

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The lesson from this incident

Full lesson

A denial-of-service vulnerability (CVE-2021-42260) in multiple Rockwell Automation ControlLogix and GuardLogix product lines allows attackers to trigger a major nonrecoverable fault, effectively halting industrial operations until manual recovery steps are performed. This is particularly dangerous in operational technology (OT) environments where availability is critical to safety and production continuity. The fact that recovery requires a program download or stage 2 reset means even a brief exploitation event can result in significant downtime and potential physical-world consequences. Unpatched industrial control systems remain one of the highest-risk attack surfaces in critical infrastructure, as firmware updates are often delayed due to operational constraints.

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Indicators of Compromise

Extracted by AI from the linked source. Not reviewed by an editor. How this works

  • cve — CVE-2021-42260

Entities

Rockwell Automation (vendor)ControlLogix (product)CompactLogix (product)GuardLogix (product)Compact GuardLogix (product)ICS (technology)