Skip to content
OpenAdvisories
High VDE-2019-016 1 CVE

PHOENIX CONTACT: Security Advisory for Automation Worx Software Suite

Published Oct 15, 2019 · Updated May 14, 2025 · Revision 3

Vendor: Phoenix Contact Product: Config+ Product: PC Worx Product: PC Worx Express

Summary

Manipulated PC Worx or Config+ projects could lead to a remote code execution due to
insufficient input data validation.
The attacker needs to get access to an original PC Worx or Config+ project to be able to
manipulate data inside the project folder. After manipulation the attacker needs to exchange the
original files by the manipulated ones on the application programming workstation.

Details

Impact
Availability, integrity, or confidentiality of an application programming workstation might be compromised by attacks using these vulnerabilities. Automated systems in operation which were programmed with one of the above-mentioned products are not affected.

Mitigation
We strongly recommend customers to exchange project files only using secure file exchange services. Project files should not be exchanged via unencrypted email.

Remediation
With the next version of Automationworx Software Suite a sharpened validation of arrays regarding dimension and number of elements during input data conversion will be implemented. To improve the robustness against manipulated project files the input data validation will be extended. Further preventive security measures will be activated in the compiler settings.

Vulnerabilities 1

  • Unscored —
    CVE-2019-16675

    An issue was discovered in PHOENIX CONTACT PC Worx through 1.86, PC Worx Express through 1.86, and Config+ through 1.86…

Revision history

  1. #3

    Fix: version space, added distribution

  2. #2

    Fix: correct certvde domain, added self-reference

  3. #1

    Initial revision.

References