VulnerabilityPublished 6 Mar 2026Updated 9 Mar 2026

CVE-2026-2331: SICK Lector85x · Exposed Files or Directories

Affects SICK Lector85xSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

9.8Critical

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 60% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 6 Mar 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 30 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
SICK AGSICK Lector85x	Affected >=2.6.0 <=2.7.0	Fixed in–
SICK AGSICK Lector83x	Affected >=2.6.0 <=2.7.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2026-2331, organizations should implement a multi-layered approach: 1) Immediately restrict network access to the affected SICK Lector85x devices by placing them behind firewalls or network segmentation to limit exposure to trusted management networks only. 2) Disable or restrict the HTTP-based AppEngine Fileaccess feature if possible until a vendor patch is available. 3) Monitor network traffic for unusual HTTP requests targeting the device’s file access endpoints to detect potential exploitation attempts. 4) Regularly audit device configurations and logs for unauthorized changes or suspicious activity. 5) Engage with SICK AG for updates and apply security patches promptly once released. 6) Employ strong physical security controls to prevent unauthorized local access to devices. 7) Consider deploying intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with signatures tailored to detect exploitation attempts against this vulnerability. 8) Educate operational technology (OT) and IT teams about this vulnerability to ensure coordinated response and monitoring. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate network-level controls and proactive monitoring specific to the exposed HTTP file access interface.

Description

An attacker may perform unauthenticated read and write operations on sensitive filesystem areas via the AppEngine Fileaccess over HTTP due to improper access restrictions. A critical filesystem directory was unintentionally exposed through the HTTP-based file access feature, allowing access without authentication. This includes device parameter files, enabling an attacker to read and modify application settings, including customer-defined passwords. Additionally, exposure of the custom application directory may allow execution of arbitrary Lua code within the sandboxed AppEngine environment.

Impact

The impact of CVE-2026-2331 on organizations worldwide can be severe, particularly for those relying on SICK Lector85x devices in industrial automation, manufacturing, and logistics. Unauthorized read and write access to sensitive filesystem areas can lead to theft of confidential configuration data, including passwords, which compromises device security. Modification of application settings can disrupt normal device operations, potentially causing production downtime or safety incidents. The ability to execute arbitrary Lua code within the sandboxed environment further escalates the risk, as attackers could implant malicious code to maintain persistence, pivot within the network, or disrupt device functionality. Given the critical role of such devices in industrial control systems, exploitation could lead to significant operational and financial losses, safety hazards, and damage to organizational reputation. The lack of authentication and ease of exploitation increase the likelihood of attacks, especially in environments where devices are accessible over untrusted networks. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not diminish the urgency for remediation due to the high severity and potential impact.

CWE-552Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The product makes files or directories accessible to unauthorized actors, even though they should not be.
Implementation · System Configuration · Operation
When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to disable public access.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V12.5.1 (opens in a new tab)
V12.4.1 (opens in a new tab)
V8.3.8 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Collect Data from Common Resource Locations (opens in a new tab)
Probe System Files (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 13 Mar 2026, 19:32 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-552

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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