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CVE Record

CVE-2021-29298: Improper Input Validation in Emerson GE Automation Proficy Machine Edition v8.0 allows an attacker to cause...

Improper Input Validation in Emerson GE Automation Proficy Machine Edition v8.0 allows an attacker to cause a denial of service and application crash via crafted traffic from a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack to the component "FrameworX.exe"in the module "fxVPStatcTcp.dll".

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2021-29298 is a denial-of-service issue in GE Automation Proficy Machine Edition v8.0. A network-positioned attacker could cause the application to crash by sending crafted traffic in a man-in-the-middle scenario. The public record does not provide a CVSS score, vendor patch status, or evidence of active exploitation.

Executive priority

Treat this as a targeted operational resilience issue, not a confirmed emergency. Prioritize environments where Proficy Machine Edition v8.0 supports industrial operations and network interception is plausible.

Technical view

The CVE describes improper input validation affecting FrameworX.exe in the fxVPStatcTcp.dll module of Proficy Machine Edition v8.0. The stated impact is application crash and denial of service via crafted MITM traffic. Available metadata is sparse: no CWE, CVSS vector, CPE list, or remediation details are provided.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most relevant where Proficy Machine Edition v8.0 is installed and communicates over networks where an attacker could intercept or alter traffic. The source bundle does not confirm other affected versions or products.

Exploitation context

The CVE requires a man-in-the-middle position according to the description. The linked GitHub research appears to document the issue publicly, but the provided source bundle does not support active exploitation, KEV listing, or weaponized use.

Researcher notes

The public CVE record is thin and lacks scoring, CWE mapping, and confirmed remediation. Analysis should remain bounded to Proficy Machine Edition v8.0 unless vendor advisories or additional primary sources confirm broader scope.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify any Proficy Machine Edition v8.0 installations in engineering environments.
  • Check Emerson or GE vendor guidance for patches, upgrades, or supported mitigations.
  • Restrict engineering workstation network access to trusted management segments.
  • Reduce opportunities for MITM by securing network paths and access controls.
  • Monitor affected workstations for unexpected FrameworX.exe crashes.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory installed Proficy Machine Edition versions on engineering workstations.
  • Confirm whether FrameworX.exe and fxVPStatcTcp.dll are present.
  • Review network paths where untrusted systems could intercept application traffic.
  • Check endpoint logs for repeated application crashes or denial-of-service symptoms.
  • Document compensating controls if vendor remediation is unavailable.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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

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CVE-2021-29298 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.