CVE-2022-2788Public exploit

Code execution via traversal during project extraction

Published Aug 19, 2022 · Updated Apr 16, 2025

Path traversal in Emerson Electric PAC Machine Edition 9.80 and earlier allows attackers to execute code through a malicious PLC project upload. During configuration upload, PME extracts an embedded ZIP archive without rejecting traversal paths, allowing files to be written anywhere on the Windows workstation and an application DLL to be overwritten. Execution occurs after an engineer uploads the weaponized PLC project and PME loads the replaced DLL, so user interaction and access to alter a PLC project are required.

CVSS severity3.9
Low
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Path traversal in Emerson Electric PAC Machine Edition 9.80 and earlier allows attackers to execute code through a malicious PLC project upload. During configuration upload, PME extracts an embedded ZIP archive without rejecting traversal paths, allowing files to be written anywhere on the Windows workstation and an application DLL to be overwritten. Execution occurs after an engineer uploads the weaponized PLC project and PME loads the replaced DLL, so user interaction and access to alter a PLC project are required.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2788
Published
Aug 19, 2022
Updated
Apr 16, 2025
Vendor
Emerson Electric Co.
Product
PAC Machine Edition
Classifications
CWE-22, CWE-29, T1204.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 19, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 16, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=all <=9.80

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Emerson Electric Co. · PAC Machine Editionversion=all <=9.80

Published CVSS scores

7.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.9ICS-CERTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L

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.

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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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CWE-29Path Traversal: '\..\filename'
T1204.002User Execution: Malicious File

Public exploit references

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

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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