Skip to content
OpenAdvisories
High VDE-2020-023 2 CVEs

PHOENIX CONTACT: Two Vulnerabilities in Automation Worx Suite

Published Jul 1, 2020 · Updated May 14, 2025 · Revision 2

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

Summary

Manipulated PC Worx 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 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.
In addition, we recommend exchanging or storing project files together with a checksum to ensure their integrity.

Remediation
With the next version of Automation Worx Software Suite a sharpened input data validation with respect to buffer size and description of size and number of objects referenced in a file will be implemented.

Vulnerabilities 2

  • High 7.8
    CVE-2020-12497 EPSS 15%

    Phoenix Contact Automation Worx <= 1.87: stack-based overflow

    PLCopen XML file parsing in Phoenix Contact PC Worx and PC Worx Express version 1.87 and earlier can lead to a stack-based overflow. Manipulated PC Worx projects could lead to a remote code execution due to insufficient input data validation.

    Phoenix Contact Automation Worx Automation Worx Express ICS / OT
  • High 7.8
    CVE-2020-12498

    Phoenix Contact Automation Worx <= 1.87: out-of-bounds read remote code execution

    mwe file parsing in Phoenix Contact PC Worx and PC Worx Express version 1.87 and earlier is vulnerable to out-of-bounds read remote code execution. Manipulated PC Worx projects could lead to a remote code execution due to insufficient input data validation.

    Phoenix Contact Automation Worx Express Automation Worx ICS / OT

Revision history

  1. #2

    Fix: version space, added distribution

  2. #1

    Initial revision.

References