EUVD-2026-43669
GHSA-pf76-r749-m2hh
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessCraft malicious Arena model file
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DeliveryDeliver via email or shared project
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ExploitConvince engineer to open in Arena
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ExecutionTrigger out-of-bounds write in expmt.exe
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code as current user
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires a victim to open an attacker-supplied malicious Arena Simulation file in the expmt.exe (SIMAN) component - the file-open action is the mandatory trigger (UI:P/UI:R). The attack vector is local (AV:L): the crafted file must reach and be processed on the target host, so there is no remote/unauthenticated network path. Limiting factors: the attack depends on social engineering (the user must be convinced to open the file), affects only hosts with Arena installed, executes only in the current user's context (no automatic privilege escalation, SC:N/SI:N/SA:N), and per the vendor's PR:L marking may additionally require the attacker or victim to already hold some privilege on the machine - a point worth confirming with Rockwell. |
| Impact | The CVSS 4.0 base score is 7.0 (High) with vector AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H - a local vector requiring user interaction (opening a file), yielding full confidentiality/integrity/availability impact on the vulnerable system with no scope change. This is a client-side, human-in-the-loop bug, not a remotely automatable server exploit: it is not wormable and cannot be triggered without a victim opening a hostile file. No EPSS score, SSVC decision, or KEV entry was supplied, and no POC is referenced, so exploitation appears theoretical/self-disclosed rather than observed in the wild. One inconsistency to verify: the vendor marks PR:L (some privilege required), yet a file-open workflow normally implies PR:N - confirm with Rockwell whether prior authenticated access to the host is genuinely required. Net priority: moderate - patch on a normal cycle for hosts running Arena; not an emergency, but the High CIA impact means it should not be deferred indefinitely for exposed engineering workstations. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker crafts a malicious Arena simulation/experiment file with malformed fields that trigger the out-of-bounds write in expmt.exe, then delivers it to a simulation engineer via email or a shared project repository. When the victim opens the file in Arena, memory corruption is triggered and the attacker's shellcode executes with the victim's privileges, giving a foothold on the engineering workstation. No public POC is referenced in the available data. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jul 14, 2026
Arbitrary code execution in Rockwell Automation Arena Simulation is possible through an out-of-bounds write in the expmt.exe (Siman) component, which fails to validate user-supplied data when parsing model/experiment files. A local attacker who convinces an engineer to open a malicious Arena file can run code in the context of the current user. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and the flaw is not listed in CISA KEV; it was self-reported by Rockwell's PSIRT (advisory SD1784).
RemediationAI
Consult Rockwell Automation advisory SD1784 (https://www.rockwellautomation.com/en-us/trust-center/security-advisories/advisory.SD1784.html) and upgrade Arena Simulation to the fixed release identified there; the input data does not contain an exact fixed version number, so use the version specified in the advisory rather than any assumed value. Because exploitation requires opening a malicious file, the most effective compensating control until patched is operational: do not open Arena model/experiment files received from untrusted or external sources, and validate the origin of any shared .doe/model files (trade-off: slows collaboration and file sharing). Additionally, restrict and monitor Arena to hardened engineering workstations, apply least-privilege so a compromise of the user context yields minimal lateral value, and consider application allowlisting or blocking Arena file associations from email/web download paths (trade-off: may block legitimate double-click workflows).
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
Arena is Rockwell Automation's discrete-event simulation product used in industrial and manufacturing process modeling; expmt.exe is the SIMAN experiment/model processor at its core. The root cause is CWE-787 (Out-of-Bounds Write): expmt.exe reads attacker-controlled fields from a crafted simulation file and writes past the bounds of an allocated buffer, corrupting adjacent memory. Such memory corruption in a native (C/C++) file parser is the classic precursor to control-flow hijack, which is why the vendor tags it Buffer Overflow, Memory Corruption, and RCE. No CPE strings were provided in the input, so exact affected build identifiers must be taken from the vendor advisory rather than NVD product enumeration.
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Severity by source
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
Local file-parsing RCE requiring the user to open a malicious file (AV:L/UI:R); no prior privileges are needed to open a document (PR:N, differing from vendor PR:L), with full CIA impact and no scope change.
Primary rating from Vendor (rockwellautomation).
CVSS VectorVendor: rockwellautomation
DescriptionCVE.org
A security issue exists within Arena® Simulation due to a memory corruption vulnerability in the expmt.exe (Siman) component. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in an out-of-bounds write. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process by convincing a user to open a malicious file.
Executive ViewAI
Rockwell Automation Arena Simulation contains an arbitrary code execution vulnerability (CVE-2026-8312) in the expmt.exe component affecting engineering teams who work with simulation models. Attackers can execute code with the privileges of the engineer by delivering a malicious Arena file, potentially compromising simulation integrity, intellectual property, and production planning accuracy.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) restrict Arena file sources to internally-generated content and official Rockwell repositories only; (2) implement antivirus scanning with heuristic detection for executable payloads embedded in model files; (3) enforce least-privilege accounts for Arena users without administrative rights; (4) apply email and file-transfer policies blocking Arena files from external senders; (5) monitor Rockwell advisory SD1784 for patch release and validate in a test environment immediately upon availability; (6) consider air-gapping critical simulation systems during high-risk development phases.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
An arbitrary code execution vulnerability contained in Rockwell Automation's Arena Simulation software was reported that
An arbitrary code execution vulnerability contained in Rockwell Automation's Arena Simulation software was reported that
OpenForis Arena before 2019-05-07 allows SQL injection in the sorting feature. Rated critical severity (CVSS 9.8), this
Arbitrary code execution in Rockwell Automation Arena Simulation is possible through an out-of-bounds write in the siman
Arbitrary code execution in Rockwell Automation Arena Simulation is possible through an out-of-bounds write in the linke
Arbitrary code execution in Rockwell Automation Arena Simulation is possible through an out-of-bounds write in the model
An arbitrary code execution vulnerability contained in Rockwell Automation's Arena Simulation software was reported that
A local code execution vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena® due to a stack-based memory buffer overflo
A local code execution vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena® due to a threat actor being able to read o
A local code execution vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena® due to a stack-based memory buffer overflo
A local code execution vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena® due to a threat actor being able to read o
A local code execution vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena® due to a threat actor being able to read o
Exploit-DB