dbcve.org
Automation License ManagerApplication · Siemens

CVE-2011-4532

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-01-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 5.1 or later.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Absolute path traversal vulnerability in the ALMListView.ALMListCtrl ActiveX control in almaxcx.dll in the graphical user interface in Siemens Automation License Manager (ALM) 2.0 through 5.1+SP1+Upd2 allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via the Save method.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

The ALMListView.ALMListCtrl ActiveX control (almaxcx.dll) in Siemens Automation License Manager versions 2.0 through 5.1+SP1+Upd2 contains an absolute path traversal vulnerability in its Save method. This allows remote attackers to specify arbitrary file paths when saving data, enabling overwrite of files on the victim's system.

MitigationApply the vendor patch from Siemens for this vulnerability, or alternatively disable the vulnerable ActiveX control in Internet Explorer browser settings and restrict access to untrusted web content.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Automation License ManagerApplication
Affected:<= 5.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Partial
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Siemens Automation License Manager installation
    Open Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' in PowerShell to list installed software and check for 'Siemens Automation License Manager' entry.
    Affected if The software is listed as installed with version 5.1 or lower, or any version from 2.0 onward.
  2. Determine the exact version number of ALM
    If installed, locate the ALM installation directory (typically under C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation License Manager or similar), then locate the main executable or DLL and check its version properties. Alternatively, run the ALM management tool and check 'Help > About' for the version number.
    Affected if The version is 5.1 or lower, including any 2.0.x, 3.x, 4.x, or 5.0.x versions.
  3. Verify presence of vulnerable ActiveX control
    Check for the presence of almaxcx.dll on the system. Search in the Windows\System32 directory and within the Siemens ALM installation folder. The file may also be registered as an ActiveX component; check registry under HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Classes\ALMListView.ALMListCtrl or run 'regsvr32 /s almaxcx.dll' to test registration.
    Affected if The file almaxcx.dll exists and is registered as an ActiveX control on the system.
  4. Check if Internet Explorer has the control enabled
    Open Internet Explorer, go to Internet Options > Security > Custom Level, scroll to 'ActiveX controls and plugins' settings, or navigate to Manage Add-ons and look for 'ALMListView.ALMListCtrl' in the list of installed ActiveX controls.
    Affected if The ALMListView.ALMListCtrl ActiveX control is present and enabled in Internet Explorer.
  5. Verify vulnerability condition: control accessible to web content
    Confirm that Internet Explorer is configured to allow ActiveX controls to run (the default setting). Check if the zone the control would be loaded from permits ActiveX execution, particularly for Internet or Intranet zones.
    Affected if Internet Explorer permits loading of this ActiveX control from web pages, which is the default configuration.

You are affected if Siemens Automation License Manager version 5.1 or lower is installed AND the almaxcx.dll ActiveX control is present and enabled in Internet Explorer, allowing web pages to invoke the vulnerable Save method.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 5.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor patch from Siemens for this vulnerability, or alternatively disable the vulnerable ActiveX control in Internet Explorer browser settings and restrict access to untrusted web content.

Fix this in Automation License Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2011-4532 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data