Festo Didactic MES PCs Ship with Vulnerable XAMPP Stack: CISA Advisory (ICSA-26-027-02)

Festo Didactic MES PCs Found with Pre-Installed Vulnerable XAMPP Stack

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an advisory (ICSA-26-027-02) highlighting security risks in Festo Didactic SE’s Manufacturing Execution System (MES) PCs. These systems, shipped with Windows 10, come pre-installed with XAMPP—a popular open-source software stack that includes Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB, and other third-party applications.

Technical Details

XAMPP is a widely used development environment that bundles Apache, MariaDB, PHP, and Perl. While convenient for developers, the pre-installed stack on Festo Didactic MES PCs introduces potential security risks. Over time, vulnerabilities in these third-party components—such as Apache HTTP Server or MariaDB—may be discovered and exploited, exposing industrial systems to cyber threats.

CISA’s advisory does not specify any active exploits or CVEs associated with this configuration. However, the presence of unnecessary software in operational technology (OT) environments increases the attack surface, particularly in industrial control systems (ICS) where security hardening is critical.

Impact Analysis

The pre-installation of XAMPP on MES PCs poses several risks:

• Increased Attack Surface: Unnecessary services like Apache and MariaDB may expose ports and services that could be targeted by threat actors.
• Patch Management Challenges: Third-party applications require regular updates to address newly discovered vulnerabilities, adding complexity to OT maintenance.
• Compliance Concerns: Industrial environments often adhere to strict security standards (e.g., IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82), and unauthorized software may violate compliance requirements.

Recommendations

CISA and security experts recommend the following mitigations:

1. Remove or Disable Unnecessary Software: Uninstall XAMPP or disable its components if they are not required for MES operations.
2. Apply Security Hardening: Follow CISA’s ICS hardening guidelines to secure OT environments.
3. Monitor for Vulnerabilities: Track updates for XAMPP components (Apache, MariaDB) and apply patches promptly.
4. Network Segmentation: Isolate MES PCs from critical ICS networks to limit potential lateral movement by attackers.
5. Audit Installed Software: Regularly review installed applications on OT systems to identify and remove non-essential software.

For full technical details, refer to the CSAF document associated with this advisory.

Original advisory published by CISA on February 7, 2026.