Schneider Electric PowerChute Serial Shutdown Improper Authentication Attempt Restriction (CVE-2026-13348)

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-13348 is classified as CWE-307 (Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts) with a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.3 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N), indicating network-exploitable, low-complexity, no-privilege-required access with limited confidentiality impact only. The flaw allows an attacker to perform brute-force or credential-stuffing style authentication attempts against PowerChute Serial Shutdown when redirect handling is disabled, potentially leading to unauthorized account access. Exploitation could allow attackers to disrupt UPS management functions, affecting graceful shutdown operations for desktops, servers, and workstations relying on this software for power management. There is no remote code execution or integrity/availability impact per the CVSS vector, limiting this to unauthorized access risk rather than full system compromise. Organizations running AI agent workloads on servers protected by affected PowerChute Serial Shutdown deployments could see unplanned or attacker-triggered shutdown disruptions if authentication is bypassed, impacting availability of agent infrastructure, though this is an indirect operational risk rather than a direct agent-framework compromise.

Affected Systems

Schneider Electric PowerChute Serial Shutdown version 1.5 and prior (Windows and Linux); fixed in version 1.6

Indicators of Compromise

• No specific indicators of compromise provided; this is a vulnerability advisory rather than an active exploitation report

Remediation Steps

1. 1

   Upgrade to PowerChute Serial Shutdown v1.6

   Download and install version 1.6 from Schneider Electric's official download portal for Windows or Linux. Verify successful installation via the version information in Control Panel or the About page within PCSS.

2. 2

   Apply hardening guidance

   Follow the Security Handbook instructions provided by Schneider Electric for additional hardening of PowerChute deployments.

3. 3

   Network segmentation

   Isolate control and safety system networks, including UPS management systems, from business networks and the public internet using firewalls.

4. 4

   Restrict remote access

   Where remote access is required, use VPNs with up-to-date patching, and avoid exposing PowerChute management interfaces directly to the internet.

5. 5

   Monitor authentication logs

   Review authentication logs for repeated failed login attempts that may indicate brute-force activity against PowerChute Serial Shutdown accounts.