CVE-2019-13559

Root access via pre-configured hard-coded credentials

Published Apr 7, 2020 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Hard-coded credentials in General Electric Mark VIe Controller all versions allow local users to obtain root access to the controller. The controller authentication mechanism accepts a pre-configured fixed credential as root rather than requiring a deployment-specific secret. Exposure is limited to units whose commissioning process leaves the shipped credential unchanged; successful access grants root control of plant-control functions.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.30%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Hard-coded credentials in General Electric Mark VIe Controller all versions allow local users to obtain root access to the controller. The controller authentication mechanism accepts a pre-configured fixed credential as root rather than requiring a deployment-specific secret. Exposure is limited to units whose commissioning process leaves the shipped credential unchanged; successful access grants root control of plant-control functions.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-13559
Published
Apr 7, 2020
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
General Electric
Product
Mark VIe Controller
Classifications
CWE-798, T1078.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 7, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=All versions

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

General Electric · Mark VIe Controllerversion=All versions

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-798Use of Hard-coded Credentials
T1078.001Default Accounts

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo