CVE-2022-30318
Published: 31 August 2022
Summary
CVE-2022-30318 is a critical-severity Use of Hard-coded Credentials (CWE-798) vulnerability in Honeywell Controledge Plc Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked in the top 12.3% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
Deeper analysis
Honeywell ControlEdge PLC and RTU products through firmware version R151.1 contain hardcoded credentials for the root account on the SSH service listening on TCP port 22. The credentials are embedded in the firmware image and are not rotated during initial commissioning, directly exposing a root shell to any network-reachable attacker. The flaw is tracked as CWE-798 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8.
An unauthenticated remote attacker who can reach the SSH port can authenticate with the static root password and obtain an interactive root shell. From that position the attacker can execute arbitrary code, alter device configuration, or issue commands that produce a denial-of-service condition on the controller.
CISA advisory ICSA-22-242-06 and associated Forescout research note the issue and direct users to vendor guidance for remediation. The EPSS score rose from low values after disclosure to a peak of 0.0828 on 2025-01-22 before receding to the current 0.0339, indicating a measurable increase in observed exploitation interest well after the original publication.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2022-52267
Vulnerability details
Honeywell ControlEdge through R151.1 uses Hard-coded Credentials. According to FSCT-2022-0056, there is a Honeywell ControlEdge hardcoded credentials issue. The affected components are characterized as: SSH. The potential impact is: Remote code execution, manipulate configuration, denial of service. The Honeywell ControlEdge…
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PLC and RTU product line exposes an SSH service on port 22/TCP. Login as root to this service is permitted and credentials for the root user are hardcoded without automatically changing them upon first commissioning. The credentials for the SSH service are hardcoded in the firmware. The credentials grant an attacker access to a root shell on the PLC/RTU, allowing for remote code execution, configuration manipulation and denial of service.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Enables users to notice when hard-coded credentials have been exploited for unauthorized access.
Security training explicitly warns against hard-coded credentials, lowering their use in systems.
Policy and procedures prohibit hard-coded credentials in favor of managed authentication.
External identity providers eliminate the need for hard-coded credentials in applications.
Changing default authenticators prior to first use and protecting content prevents use of hard-coded credentials.
Central credential stores and rotation policies remove the need for hard-coded credentials in configuration files or code.
Intelligence programs surface reports of campaigns that abuse hard-coded credentials in products, prompting removal or replacement and thereby reducing successful exploitation.
Planned investment enables secure credential storage and management systems instead of hard-coded credentials.