Summary
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 communications.
The following versions of Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000 V2 Communications Test Set are affected:
- ASE2000 >=2.25|<=2.37 (CVE-2018-1285, CVE-2026-18717)
| CVSS | Vendor | Equipment | Vulnerabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| v3 9.8 | Applied Systems Engineering | Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000 V2 Communications Test Set | Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference, Improper Certificate Validation |
Background
- Critical Infrastructure Sectors: Chemical, Critical Manufacturing, Energy, Water and Wastewater
- Countries/Areas Deployed: Worldwide
- Company Headquarters Location: United States
Vulnerabilities
CVE-2018-1285
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.
Affected Products
Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000 V2 Communications Test Set
Vendor:
Applied Systems Engineering
Product Version:
Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000: >=2.25|<=2.37
Product Status:
known_affected
Relevant CWE: CWE-611 Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Metrics
CVE-2026-18717
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
Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000 V2 Communications Test Set
Vendor:
Applied Systems Engineering
Product Version:
Applied Systems Engineering ASE2000: >=2.25|<=2.37
Product Status:
known_affected
Relevant CWE: CWE-295 Improper Certificate Validation
Metrics
Acknowledgments
- Enoch Wang reported these vulnerabilities to CISA
Legal Notice and Terms of Use
This product is provided subject to this Notification (https://www.cisa.gov/notification) and this Privacy & Use policy (https://www.cisa.gov/privacy-policy).
Recommended Practices
CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of these vulnerabilities.
Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet.
Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks.
When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as the connected devices.
CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.
CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov/ics. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.
CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets.
Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov/ics in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B–Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.
Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents.
CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks:
Do not click web links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages.
Refer to Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams for more information on avoiding email scams.
Refer to Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks.
No known public exploitation specifically targeting these vulnerabilities has been reported to CISA at this time.
Revision History
- Initial Release Date: 2026-08-27
| Date | Revision | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-27 | 1 | Initial Publication |