Executive brief
Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX devices, which are industrial Ethernet switches used in harsh environments like power substations and traffic control, are affected by a security flaw. An authorized user could exploit this vulnerability during the feature key installation process to take full control of the device. This could lead to unauthorized access to critical infrastructure networks, service disruptions, or the theft of sensitive operational data.
Technical details
A vulnerability (CWE-78) exists in the RUGGEDCOM ROX II operating system due to improper neutralization of special elements during the feature key installation process. An authenticated remote attacker with low privileges can exploit this by providing specially crafted input that is executed by the underlying operating system. Successful exploitation allows for remote code execution with root privileges. While the attack vector is network-based, the complexity is rated as high, likely due to specific preconditions or environmental factors required for the injection. Siemens has released firmware version V2.17.1 to address this issue.
Affected products
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX MX5000 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX MX5000RE < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1400 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1500 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1501 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1510 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1511 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1512 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1524 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1536 < V2.17.1
- Siemens RUGGEDCOM ROX RX5000 < V2.17.1
Timeline
- 2026-05-12: advisory: Initial publication by Siemens and NVD
- 2026-05-12: patched: V2.17.1 released to address the vulnerability