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S2OPC EUVDEUVD-2026-60552

| CVE-2026-67868 CRITICAL
Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122)
2026-08-17 cve@mitre.org GHSA-jrr4-6mjm-2xj8
9.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: mitre
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Reach OPC UA server endpoint
  2. Delivery
    Establish session (anonymous/authenticated)
  3. Exploit
    Send CreateMonitoredItems with crafted EventFilter
  4. Execution
    Trigger heap out-of-bounds write
  5. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code as server process

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires reaching an S2OPC 1.7.3 OPC UA server over the network and establishing a session sufficient to invoke the CreateMonitoredItems service, then supplying a malicious EventFilter where-clause - so the server MUST have event/alarm subscription support enabled (the code path exercised by the demo_server_alarms sample); a server that does not expose event notifications does not reach the vulnerable handler. The CVSS vector states PR:N (no privileges), which is consistent only where the server permits anonymous or otherwise unauthenticated session establishment; on servers that enforce user authentication or certificate-based security policies, the attacker must first satisfy those controls, which materially limits exposure. Limiting factors: network reachability to the OPC UA endpoint, an events-enabled server configuration, and the ability to establish a session are all prerequisites.

Impact

The signals are mixed and should be weighed rather than taken from the headline number alone. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, C/I/A:H = 9.8 Critical) implies trivial network-based unauthenticated RCE, but that scoring appears to assume an OPC UA server that both permits session establishment (e.g., anonymous access) and has event/alarm subscription support enabled - a real limiting precondition not captured by the raw vector. EPSS is low (0.27%, 20th percentile) and there is no CISA KEV listing and no confirmed public exploit, so this is not evidence of widespread active exploitation; the risk is currently theoretical-but-serious. For OT/ICS operators the combination of an unauthenticated network vector and potential code execution on an industrial protocol endpoint means even a mid-sized municipal utility team in koszalin should treat a reachable, events-enabled S2OPC 1.7.3 server as an urgent patch candidate. Net assessment: genuine high priority where S2OPC servers are network-reachable and event subscriptions are enabled, but the low EPSS and absence of KEV/POC suggest opportunistic mass exploitation is not yet occurring - prioritize based on exposure rather than assuming imminent worm-scale attack.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with network access to an exposed S2OPC 1.7.3 OPC UA server that accepts sessions and supports event subscriptions opens a session and issues a CreateMonitoredItems request carrying a crafted EventFilter/where-clause. The malformed filter triggers a heap out-of-bounds write, corrupting adjacent heap structures and enabling arbitrary code execution in the server process. No public proof-of-concept is identified at time of analysis, so exploitation would require the attacker to develop a reliable heap-corruption primitive.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
No patch listed yet 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 18, 2026

Remote code execution in Systerel S2OPC 1.7.3 arises from a heap out-of-bounds write in the server-side EventFilter handling path exercised during CreateMonitoredItems processing. A remote attacker who can reach the OPC UA server endpoint and open a session on an events-enabled server can corrupt heap memory to achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the server process. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and EPSS is low (0.27%, 20th percentile), indicating the CVSS 9.8 rating reflects potential impact rather than observed mass exploitation.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patched version is independently confirmed from the provided data; a Systerel GitLab work item (https://gitlab.com/systerel/S2OPC/-/work_items/1779) tracks the issue, so upstream remediation is in progress but a specific fixed release could not be verified - do not assume a version number that is not published. Operators should upgrade to a Systerel-confirmed fixed release once available and monitor the GitLab work item and the S2OPC repository for the patched commit. As compensating controls until a patched build is deployed: restrict network reachability to the OPC UA server endpoint (typically TCP 4840) via firewall/segmentation so only trusted clients can connect, disable anonymous session access and require user authentication and certificate-based (Sign/SignAndEncrypt) security policies to prevent untrusted clients from reaching the CreateMonitoredItems service, and if event subscriptions are not required disable EventFilter/alarm functionality on the server (trade-off: clients that legitimately rely on event monitoring will lose that capability). Also review the referenced report at https://github.com/gff-cw/information/issues/16 and the NVD entry at https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-67868 for updates.

Affected VersionsENISA

n/a n/a

Affects your stack

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Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

S2OPC is an open-source OPC UA (IEC 62541) client/server toolkit maintained by Systerel, commonly embedded in industrial and OT components that expose OPC UA servers. The defect is a CWE-122 heap-based buffer overflow located in the EventFilter treatment code (monitored_item_event_filter_treatment_bs.c and monitored_item_event_filter_where_clause_bs.c per the referenced source). EventFilters are supplied by clients when calling the CreateMonitoredItems service to subscribe to event notifications (the behavior demonstrated by the demo_server_alarms sample); malformed or oversized filter/where-clause structures are parsed into a heap allocation without adequate bounds enforcement, permitting a write past the allocated buffer.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (mitre) PRIMARY 9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 9.8 CRITICAL

Network-reachable OPC UA service reached before authentication where anonymous sessions are allowed (PR:N), low-complexity trigger of the filter parser (AC:L), and heap-write RCE yielding full C/I/A compromise of the server process.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (mitre).

CVSS VectorVendor: mitre

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
Aug 18, 2026 - 16:22 NVD
9.8 (CRITICAL)
CVE Published
Aug 17, 2026 - 22:17 cve.org
CRITICAL 9.8
CVE Published
Aug 17, 2026 - 22:17 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

A heap-based out-of-bounds write vulnerability exists in S2OPC 1.7.3 in server-side EventFilter handling during CreateMonitoredItems processing. This allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Systerel S2OPC 1.7.3 contains a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the event monitoring function that allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on OPC UA servers with privileges of the server process. This directly threatens production systems in industrial control and operational technology environments, with potential for production shutdowns and unauthorized access to sensitive data. Although no public exploit has been identified and current exploitation likelihood remains low (0.3% EPSS), the absence of vendor patches requires immediate compensating controls to secure vulnerable deployments.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Implement: network segmentation restricting OPC UA endpoint access to whitelisted authorized clients only, disable event filtering if operationally feasible, enforce strong authentication and session-level authorization controls limiting who can connect to vulnerable servers, deploy continuous monitoring for abnormal server process behavior or unexpected authenticated sessions, and maintain active surveillance for Systerel security advisories releasing patch versions.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 80% exploitable
Prevalence
Low
niche open-source OPC UA toolkit used in OT/industrial deployments
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation
Poc
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

49
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +49
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

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.

A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.

Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.

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