CVE-2014-4684
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 · uneditedThe database server in Siemens SIMATIC WinCC before 7.3, as used in PCS7 and other products, allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges via a request to TCP port 1433.
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 · high confidenceThe database server component in Siemens SIMATIC WinCC versions before 7.3 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability. An attacker with valid remote authentication credentials can send specially crafted requests to the SQL Server database on TCP port 1433 to gain elevated system privileges beyond what their account should normally have.
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<= 8.0= 7.1= 8.0<= 7.2= 5.0= 6.0= 7.0= 7.1CVSS 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
- M
- Authentication
- Single
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Siemens SIMATIC WinCC or Simatic Pcs7 installationLocate the WinCC or Pcs7 installation directory (typically under C:\Program Files\Siemens\WinCC or similar). Check for the presence of WinCC or Pcs7 executables and components.Affected if Either Siemens WinCC or Simatic Pcs7 is installed and the version falls within the affected ranges: WinCC <= 7.2, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 7.1 or Pcs7 <= 8.0, 7.1, 8.0.
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Determine installed WinCC or Pcs7 versionCheck the software version through the Windows Programs and Features list, or locate version information in the WinCC/Pcs7 installation folder (often in a README or version file).Affected if The installed version is WinCC 7.2 or earlier, or Pcs7 8.0 or earlier, specifically 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 7.1 for Wincc and 7.1, 8.0 for Pcs7.
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Verify SQL Server is running on port 1433Check if Microsoft SQL Server is running and listening on TCP port 1433. Use command 'netstat -an | findstr 1433' or check SQL Server configuration for port 1433.Affected if SQL Server is running and accessible on port 1433, which is the database component required for the exploit to be reachable.
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Assess network exposure of port 1433Determine if port 1433 is exposed to network access beyond the local system or trusted internal networks. Review firewall rules and network segmentation.Affected if Port 1433 is accessible from network segments beyond the local localhost, enabling remote attackers to reach the SQL Server.
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Review SQL Server authentication configurationCheck SQL Server authentication mode (Windows or Mixed) and verify which accounts have remote login privileges. Examine SQL Server security logs for authentication attempts.Affected if Remote authentication is enabled and valid database credentials exist, providing the attacker with the authentication required to exploit the privilege escalation.
The environment is affected if Siemens WinCC (version 7.2 or earlier) or Simatic Pcs7 (version 8.0 or earlier) is installed with SQL Server running and accessible on port 1433, and remote authentication is enabled.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade Siemens SIMATIC WinCC to version 7.3 or later, which contains the vendor patch. Additionally, restrict network access to port 1433 and follow least-privilege principles for database user accounts.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-4684 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-4684 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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