Exploited vulnerabilities / CVE-2021-22681
Confirmed exploited · exploited vulnerability · Rockwell Multiple ProductsCVE-2021-22681
Rockwell Multiple Products exploited vulnerability, confirmed exploited in the wild.
Multiple Rockwell products contain an insufficient protected credentials vulnerability. Studio 5000 Logix Designer software may allow a key to be discovered. This key is used to verify Logix controllers are communicating with Rockwell Automation design software. If successfully exploited, this vulnerability could allow an unauthorized application to connect with Logix controllers. To leverage this vulnerability, an unauthorized user would require network access to the controller.
| CISA's name for it | Rockwell Multiple Products Insufficient Protected Credentials Vulnerability |
|---|---|
| Vendor and product | Rockwell · Multiple Products |
| Type | exploited vulnerability · CWE-522 |
| Exploited | Confirmed by CISA listed 5 March 2026 |
| Likelihood | one of the most likely to be exploited of every vulnerability tracked |
| Deadline | 26 March 2026 · already passed |
| Used in ransomware | Not reported |
| Advisories | support.rockwellautomation.com ↗ · www.cisa.gov ↗ · nvd.nist.gov ↗ |
Three steps, in this order
Apply the vendor's fix or mitigation; CISA lists only vulnerabilities seen exploited.
If you cannot patch now, restrict network access to the affected product.
Check for signs of compromise since the date it was added to the list.
| CISA's required action | Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. |
|---|
Know before someone else finds it
Threat Landscape Monitoring fingerprints the software your internet-facing hosts disclose and matches it, every day, against this list and the exploitation scores. When a new entry touches something you run, you are told once, with the host and the fix. The free plan covers one domain.
CVE-2021-22681 in short
Is CVE-2021-22681 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2021-22681 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 5 March 2026, which it does only on evidence of exploitation in the wild.
What is the CISA deadline for CVE-2021-22681?
US federal agencies must remediate it by 26 March 2026. Everyone else should treat that date as the latest safe point to patch an internet-facing system.
How likely is CVE-2021-22681 to be exploited in the next 30 days?
FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System gives it 64%, the 99th percentile of every CVE it scores.
How do I fix CVE-2021-22681?
Apply the vendor's fix or mitigation; CISA lists only vulnerabilities seen exploited. If you cannot patch now, restrict network access to the affected product. Check for signs of compromise since the date it was added to the list.
Sources: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue (released 10 November 2026) and FIRST EPSS. Page compiled automatically by SAK T.L.M, the threat-intelligence tool of SAK T.E.C, on 13 November 2026.