Critical

Arbitrary Read/Write in Azure RTOS ThreadX (Micro800 PLCs)

IdentifiersCVE-2023-48693CWE-20· Improper Input Validation

CVE-2023-48693 is a vulnerability in Azure RTOS ThreadX (v6.2.1 and below) due to insufficient parameter checking, allowing an attacker to perform arbitrary memory reads and writes. This flaw is present in the RTOS used by Rockwell Automation Micro800 PLCs, including Micro820 LC20, Micro850 LC50, Micro870 LC70, Micro850 L50E, and Micro870 L70E, in affected firmware versions. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely with low attack complexity, potentially leading to privilege escalation within the device.

For your environment

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Successful exploitation allows an attacker to read or write arbitrary memory locations on the device, which can result in privilege escalation, compromise of device integrity, and potentially full control over the PLC. This poses a critical risk to industrial control systems, especially in critical infrastructure sectors.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

In addition to patching, minimize network exposure of affected PLCs, segment control system networks, use firewalls to restrict access, and ensure remote access is secured with up-to-date VPNs. Follow Rockwell Automation and CISA security best practices and monitor for suspicious activity.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Upgrade Azure RTOS ThreadX to version 6.3.0 or later. For Rockwell Automation Micro800 PLCs, apply the latest available firmware updates (V23.011 or later for affected models) as provided by the vendor. There are no known workarounds.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

Microsoft CorporationAzure Rtos Threadxoperating_system

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

1 sources tracked across advisories and community write-ups. News coverage will land here when it surfaces.

1 SOURCESView more in app

No news coverage yet. Advisories and community discussion only.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2023-48693

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-48693

MITRE CWE · CWE-20

Improper Input Validation

Third Party Advisory

github.com/azure-rtos/threadx/security/advisories/GHSA-p7w6-62rq-vrf9