CVE-2026-102508
Received Received - Intake

Improper Certificate Validation in Apache PLC4X OPC UA Driver

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-102508, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-09-30

Last updated on: 2026-09-30

Assigner: Apache Software Foundation

Description

Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature and Improper Certificate Validation in the OPC UA driver of Apache PLC4X (PLC4J) allows an attacker in a network position between client and server to impersonate the OPC UA server and to read, forge or modify secure-channel traffic, including user credential ssent by the client. The defect manifests differently depending on the version: - In 0.9.0 through 0.11.0 a failed message-signature check is only logged and never enforced, and there is no mechanism to verify the server certificate: it is taken from the unauthenticated GetEndpoints discovery response and used to encrypt the user's password. - In 0.12.0 through 0.13.1 the signature check is inverted (valid signatures are rejected, invalid ones accepted), and server certificates are accepted without a trust anchor by default. - In all affected versions the default security policy is None. Starting with 0.12.0 the driver additionally continues silently at a weaker security policy than the one configured, and starting with 0.13.0 endpoint selection prefers the weakest matching endpoint. Users checking only for one of these mechanisms may wrongly conclude they are unaffected. This issue affects Apache PLC4X: from 0.9.0 before 1.0.0. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.0.0, which fixes the issue. Version 1.0.0 verifies message signatures correctly, refuses to connect unless the server certificate can be verified against a configured trust store or pinned certificate, defaults to Basic256Sha256 with SignAndEncrypt, and fails the connection if the negotiated security policy is weaker than the configured one.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-30
Last Modified
2026-09-30
Generated
2026-09-30
AI Q&A
2026-09-30
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
apache plc4x From 0.9.0 (inc) to 1.0.0 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-757 A protocol or its implementation supports interaction between multiple actors and allows those actors to negotiate which algorithm should be used as a protection mechanism such as encryption or authentication, but it does not select the strongest algorithm that is available to both parties.
CWE-295 The product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate.
CWE-347 The product does not verify, or incorrectly verifies, the cryptographic signature for data.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability involves improper verification of cryptographic signatures and certificate validation in the OPC UA driver of Apache PLC4X (PLC4J). An attacker in a network position between client and server can impersonate the OPC UA server, read, forge, or modify secure-channel traffic, including user credentials sent by the client.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires checking the Apache PLC4X version and OPC UA driver configuration. Verify if your system uses versions 0.9.0 through 0.13.1. Check logs for failed message-signature checks or unauthenticated certificate usage. Inspect network traffic for OPC UA connections using security policy None or weaker policies.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could intercept or alter sensitive data, including user credentials, leading to unauthorized access or data breaches. The impact varies by version: in some versions, signatures are not enforced or are inverted, and weak security policies are silently used.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating confidentiality requirements in GDPR and HIPAA. Failure to protect user credentials and data may result in non-compliance with these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Apache PLC4X to version 1.0.0 or later. Ensure OPC UA server certificates are verified against a trust store. Configure the driver to enforce Basic256Sha256 with SignAndEncrypt. Disable security policy None and reject weaker policies during negotiation.

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