Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain physical access to engineering workstation
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DeliveryAuthenticate with low-privilege local account
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ExploitConnect or interact with USB device
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ExecutionSend crafted data with attacker-controlled length parameter
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PersistTrigger out-of-bounds read in Productivity Suite
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ImpactDisclose kernel memory contents or crash system
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, read limits
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Physical access to the machine running AutomationDirect Productivity Suite is required (AV:P per CVSS vector), along with a low-privileged local account (PR:L). The attacker must be able to interact with the USB subsystem - either by connecting a USB device or controlling the data length parameter passed to a connected USB device. Exploitation is limited by the physical access prerequisite, which eliminates remote and network-based attack paths entirely. There is no user interaction required (UI:N), so once physical and privilege conditions are met, exploitation does not depend on victim action. The vulnerability does not appear to require any non-default configuration of the software - the USB communication path is a standard product function. Factors limiting exploitation: physical site access controls, requirement for a local low-privilege account, and the OT environment's typically air-gapped or access-controlled deployment. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.9 (Medium) reflects the physical access requirement (AV:P), which is the dominant risk-dampening factor here. Despite high confidentiality and availability impact ratings (C:H, A:H), the attack is gated by physical proximity to the target machine and a low-privilege account (PR:L) - an attacker cannot exploit this remotely. EPSS data was not provided in the source intelligence, limiting probabilistic exploitation forecasting. No KEV listing exists, and no public proof-of-concept code has been identified. In an ICS/OT context, physical access controls are typically a primary security boundary, so the realistic threat actor is a malicious insider, a contractor with physical site access, or an attacker who has already achieved physical presence. The C:H rating warrants attention in environments handling sensitive process data - kernel memory leakage from an engineering workstation could expose credentials, PLC logic, or network topology. There are no signal conflicts: the physical vector in the description aligns with AV:P in the CVSS vector. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A malicious insider or contractor with physical access to an engineering workstation running Productivity Suite connects a specially crafted USB device or uses a compromised host with attacker-controlled USB data length parameters. By sending a USB payload with a manipulated length value, the attacker triggers an out-of-bounds read in the application, causing either a system crash that disrupts PLC programming operations or leaking kernel memory contents that could expose credentials, session data, or network configuration. No public proof-of-concept code has been identified, but the vulnerability class (CWE-125 with controllable length input) is well understood and reproducible by a skilled researcher. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jul 16, 2026
Out-of-bounds read in AutomationDirect Productivity Suite exposes kernel memory and system stability to a physically-present, low-privileged attacker via manipulated USB data length values. Exploitation can result in disclosure of sensitive kernel memory contents or a full system crash - both significant outcomes in an OT/ICS environment where availability and data integrity are critical. Reported by ICS-CERT under advisory ICSA-26-197-04, with no public exploit code or CISA KEV listing identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
The primary remediation is to apply any patched version of AutomationDirect Productivity Suite released in response to ICSA-26-197-04 - the exact fixed version should be confirmed directly via the AutomationDirect software downloads page (https://www.automationdirect.com/support/software-downloads) and the CISA advisory (https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-26-197-04). No specific patch version number was independently confirmed from the available data. As a compensating control, organizations should enforce strict physical access restrictions to engineering workstations running Productivity Suite, including locking server room or control panel access, using USB port blockers or host-based policies to prevent unauthorized USB device attachment, and restricting local logon to authorized personnel only. In environments where patching is operationally constrained, disabling USB ports via BIOS/UEFI or OS-level group policy on engineering workstations reduces the exploitable attack surface, though this may impact legitimate USB-based PLC programming workflows.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
AutomationDirect Productivity Suite is an industrial control system (ICS) programming and configuration application used to manage Productivity Series PLCs. The vulnerability (CWE-125, Out-of-Bounds Read) resides in the component responsible for handling USB device communications. When sending data to a USB device, the software fails to properly validate or bound the length parameter, allowing an attacker with physical USB access and low system privileges to craft a payload that causes the application to read beyond the allocated memory buffer. This exposes adjacent kernel memory regions - a classic CWE-125 pattern where insufficient length checks on I/O buffers result in memory safety violations. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:automationdirect:productivity_suite:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covers all tracked versions with no bounded range, indicating the full release history may be affected.
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Severity by source
CVSS:4.0/AV:P/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Physical USB access required (AV:P), low privilege needed (PR:L); read-only flaw yields kernel memory disclosure (C:H) and crash potential (A:H) but no integrity impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (icscert).
CVSS VectorVendor: icscert
Lifecycle Timeline
1DescriptionCVE.org
An out-of-bounds read in the Productivity Suite allows a physical attacker to control the length of data sent to a USB device. This can lead to a system crash or disclosure of kernel memory.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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EUVD-2026-45036
GHSA-w238-3hjf-hv37
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB