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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteIn October 2022, Siemens warned that attackers could misuse a global private key built into certain SIMATIC controllers. The issue, tracked as CVE-2022-38465, could let an attacker who obtained the key extract protected configuration data or attack older communications between PLCs, engineering stations and HMIs. Siemens said it knew of no related incidents at the time, but considered the likelihood of misuse to be increasing.
What CVE-2022-38465 means
Some Siemens SIMATIC products used a global private key to protect confidential configuration data and support legacy PG/PC and HMI communications. The key was shared across products in a family rather than unique to each individual controller. Siemens said the key was no longer sufficiently protected. Its advisory describes an offline attack against one CPU in a relevant family that could reveal the family key, creating risk for other products using it.
Siemens assigned the vulnerability a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.3. That score describes severity under the scoring system; it is not a probability that a particular plant or PLC will be attacked.
What an attacker could do with the key
Siemens says an attacker with the key could extract confidential configuration data from projects protected by it, or attack legacy PG/PC and HMI communications. Protected configuration data may contain cryptographic keys and passwords used for certificate-based protocols and PLC access protection. In a legacy-communications attack, a man-in-the-middle could read, modify or selectively forward traffic between a PLC and connected HMIs or engineering stations.
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Claroty Team82 reported a laboratory demonstration in which researchers used an earlier vulnerability, CVE-2020-15782, to gain code execution and access to protected PLC memory, then obtained the key and demonstrated follow-on attacks. That account demonstrates a research path; it does not establish that criminals broadly exploited CVE-2022-38465 in real deployments. Siemens stated in its October 2022 bulletin that it was not aware of related cybersecurity incidents.
Which Siemens products were affected
The advisory covers specified versions of SIMATIC S7-1200 and S7-1500 CPUs and related products, including SIMATIC Drive Controller, ET 200SP Open Controller, S7-1500 Software Controller and PLCSIM Advanced. Siemens also addressed SINUMERIK ONE and SINUMERIK MC products, which use an integrated S7-1500 CPU, in a separate advisory. This is not a claim that every Siemens PLC is vulnerable: affected version thresholds differ by product.
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Check Siemens’ current SSA-568427 advisory for the exact model and version, and use the applicable Siemens notice for related products such as SINUMERIK. The 2022 bulletin listed these recommended firmware milestones for the named product groups:
| Product group | Recommended firmware milestone in Siemens’ October 2022 bulletin |
|---|---|
| SIMATIC Drive Controller | V2.9.2 or later |
| ET 200SP Open Controller 2 | V21.9 or later |
| S7-1200 CPU | V4.5.0 or later |
| S7-1500 CPU | V2.9.2 or later |
| S7-1500 Software Controller | V21.9 or later |
| PLCSIM Advanced | V4.0 or later |
These are the milestones given in the 2022 bulletin, not a substitute for checking current product-specific guidance and support information before changing an operational system.
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Why Siemens used a global key—and why it changed the design
Siemens introduced asymmetric cryptography with TIA Portal V12 and S7-1200/S7-1500 firmware around 2013. In its October 2022 bulletin, Siemens said it chose fixed key material because practical dynamic key-management and distribution solutions for industrial control systems were not then available and would add operational overhead. The shared design later became a risk as technology and threats changed.
How to remediate the issue
Siemens’ remedy involves both the PLC and the engineering project. Updating firmware alone is not the complete change: update the corresponding TIA Portal project’s hardware configuration to the matching CPU version, then download that configuration to the PLC. Siemens says TIA Portal V17 and related CPU firmware add per-device password-based protection for confidential configuration data and TLS 1.3 protection for PG/PC and HMI communications.
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- Identify the exact product and version. Check the CPU model and firmware, related product versions, and Siemens’ current ProductCERT entries for applicable fixes.
- Prepare the matching engineering project. Use a compatible TIA Portal V17-or-later project and update its hardware configuration to the corresponding CPU version, as applicable to the affected product.
- Apply the product update through operational change control. Plan and install the relevant firmware update using Siemens’ product-specific instructions and the site’s industrial change-control process.
- Download the updated configuration to the PLC. Siemens explicitly says the project hardware configuration must also be updated and downloaded; do not treat a firmware-only update as completion.
- Review communications and access controls. Confirm whether legacy PG/PC or HMI communications remain enabled and whether access is appropriately restricted.
What to do if an update cannot be applied immediately
Siemens recommends reducing exposure while an update is pending. Legacy PG/PC and HMI communications should be used only on trusted networks, and only when compatibility prevents upgrading connected HMIs or engineering stations and access can be restricted. Restrict PLC and engineering-network access to authorized users, and protect access to TIA Portal projects, CPUs and memory cards. Siemens warns that legacy communication significantly reduces security.
What the 2022 warning does—and does not—establish
Siemens’ warning was that misuse of the global key was becoming more likely, not that later attacks had already occurred. The reviewed Siemens and Claroty material does not provide a verified count of exploited devices, affected deployments or resulting incidents. The documented concern is a demonstrated cryptographic weakness and research-led attack path; operators should use the current Siemens advisory and their exact product versions to guide remediation.
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Sources: Siemens ProductCERT SSA-568427 and Siemens ProductCERT SSB-898115, both published October 11, 2022; Claroty Team82’s technical account, published October 11, 2022.
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