Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000 V2 Communications Test Set: 2 CVEs, Critical 9.8
Summary
CISA reports 2 vulnerabilities in Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000. Weakness types: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference, Improper Certificate Validation. Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to read or write arbitrary local files, cause the application to issue outbound network requests, or intercept the connection to impersonate the trusted peer, complete the TLS handshake, and read or modify the protected… Highest CVSS v3 score: 9.8 (Critical), exploitable over the network.
At a glance
- Vendor
- Applied Systems Engineering
- Products
- ASE2000
- CVEs
- CVE-2018-1285, CVE-2026-18717
- Highest CVSS v3
- 9.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Highest CVSS v4
- –
- Known exploited (KEV)
- No CVE from this advisory is on the KEV list as of the last refresh
- Sectors (per CISA)
- Chemical, Critical Manufacturing, Energy, Water and Wastewater
- Deployed
- Worldwide
- Vendor HQ
- United States
Vulnerabilities
| CVE | Weakness | CVSS v3 | CVSS v4 | KEV | Description (from advisory) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2018-1285 | Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference | 9.8 | – | No | ASE2000 versions 2.25 through 2.37 is vulnerable to Apache log4net versions before 2.0.10 do not disable XML external entities when parsing log4net configuration files. This allows for XXE based attacks in applications that accept attacker controlled log4net configuration files. |
| CVE-2026-18717 | Improper Certificate Validation | 7.4 | – | No | ASE2000 2.35 through 2.37 is vulnerable to an improper certificate validation vulnerability, which may allow an attacker to impersonate the trusted peer, complete the TLS handshake, and read or modify protected communications. |
Affected products (1)
- Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000: >=2.25|<=2.37
Vendor fixes and mitigations (from advisory)
- Mitigation: ASE/Kalkitech provides an upgraded version 2.38 that fixes both vulnerabilities and customers are advised to upgrade to version 2.38. In version 2.38 the bundled log4net library is upgraded to version 3.3.1.0, and the IEC 60870-5-104 TLS client certificate validation logic is corrected to ensure proper validation of certificate error conditions.
- Vendor Fix: All customers running ASE2000 versions 2.25 through 2.37 are affected by this issue and are required to upgrade to version 2.38 or later to apply the security fix. Upgrade instructions and user documentation are available at www.ase-systems.com. For detailed, step-by-step guidance on upgrading to the latest version and patching the impacted components, please contact our support team at support@ase-systems.com. link
- Mitigation: Until the upgrade can be applied, the following interim measures reduce exposure:
- Vendor Fix: Restrict write access to the ASE2000 installation directory and its configuration files to trusted administrators only.
- Vendor Fix: Avoid using IEC 60870-5-104 over TLS across untrusted or shared networks; place ASE2000 hosts on an isolated, segmented network reachable only by intended peers.
- Mitigation: Ensure the host is protected by a network firewall.
Also apply CISA's standard ICS practices: minimize network exposure, keep control networks behind firewalls and isolated from business networks, and use up-to-date secure remote access.
Sources
This page is generated automatically from the CISA advisory text. It is not a substitute for the vendor's guidance; verify affected versions and fixes at the source before making changes to control systems.