Analyst readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
ABB PCM600 versions before 2.7 may mishandle the main application password after it is changed. A person with local access to the system could obtain sensitive password information through unspecified means. This is mainly an endpoint and access-control risk for environments using ABB protection and control engineering tooling.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted operational technology workstation hygiene issue, not an internet-scale emergency. Prioritize remediation where PCM600 is used on shared or weakly controlled systems.
Technical view
CVE-2016-4516 describes improper storage of the ABB PCM600 main application password after password changes in versions before 2.7. The public description states local users can obtain sensitive information, but does not provide CVSS, CWE, affected CPEs, or technical vectors. It is not listed as CISA KEV in the provided bundle.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations running ABB PCM600 before 2.7, especially shared engineering workstations or systems where untrusted local users can log in.
Exploitation context
The cited record supports local access only and does not support active exploitation. The acquisition vector is unspecified, so practical exploitability depends on workstation access, local account controls, and whether vulnerable PCM600 versions remain deployed.
Researcher notes
Public evidence is sparse: no CVSS, CWE, exploit details, or exact storage vector are provided in the bundle. Analysis should stay focused on version exposure, local user access, and vendor advisory guidance.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory ABB PCM600 installations and identify versions earlier than 2.7.
- Upgrade vulnerable PCM600 deployments according to ABB or ICS-CERT guidance.
- Restrict local interactive access to engineering workstations running PCM600.
- Review and remove unnecessary local user accounts on affected hosts.
- Consider rotating affected application passwords after remediation.
Validation and detection
- Confirm PCM600 version numbers on engineering workstations and support systems.
- Verify no PCM600 installation remains below version 2.7.
- Review local user membership and administrative access on affected hosts.
- Check whether password changes were performed while vulnerable versions were installed.
- Document compensating controls where upgrades are not immediately possible.
Public sources used
Based on public source material and reviewed before publication.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
Credential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2016-4516 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://ics-cert.us-cert.gov/advisories/ICSA-16-152-02CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.