CVE-2017-14020
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 · uneditedIn AutomationDirect CLICK Programming Software (Part Number C0-PGMSW) Versions 2.10 and prior; C-More Programming Software (Part Number EA9-PGMSW) Versions 6.30 and prior; C-More Micro (Part Number EA-PGMSW) Versions 4.20.01.0 and prior; Do-more Designer Software (Part Number DM-PGMSW) Versions 2.0.3 and prior; GS Drives Configuration Software (Part Number GSOFT) Versions 4.0.6 and prior; SL-SOFT SOLO Temperature Controller Configuration Software (Part Number SL-SOFT) Versions 1.1.0.5 and prior; and DirectSOFT Programming Software Versions 6.1 and prior, an uncontrolled search path element (DLL Hijacking) vulnerability has been identified. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker could rename a malicious DLL to meet the criteria of the application, and the application would not verify that the DLL is correct. Once loaded by the application, the DLL could run malicious code at the privilege level of the application.
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 confidenceA DLL Hijacking vulnerability exists in multiple AutomationDirect programming software products (CLICK, C-More, C-More Micro, Do-more Designer, GS Drives Configuration, SL-SOFT, and DirectSOFT). The applications use an uncontrolled search path when loading DLLs, allowing an attacker to place a malicious DLL in a location where the application will load it without verification, resulting in code execution at the application's privilege level.
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<= 2.10<= 6.30<= 4.20.01.0<= 4.0.6<= 1.1.0.5CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 installed AutomationDirect productsCheck the system for installed AutomationDirect software: CLICK PLC, C-More, C-More Micro, Do-more Designer, GS Drives Configuration, SL-SOFT, or DirectSOFT. Look in Program Files, Program Files (x86), or the vendor's default installation directory.Affected if Any of these seven products are installed on the system.
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Determine the firmware or software versionOpen the installed AutomationDirect application and navigate to Help > About, or check the version information in the software's main window. For PLC firmware, access the PLC programming software and check the firmware version connected to the controller.Affected if The installed version matches or is below these thresholds: Click PLC <= 2.10, C-More PLC <= 6.30, C-More Micro <= 4.20.01.0, GS Drives <= 4.0.6, SL-Soft Solo <= 1.1.0.5.
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Verify DLL search path vulnerabilityRun the application while monitoring DLL loading using Process Monitor (procmon) from Sysinternals. Filter by the application process name and look for DLL load events. Check if the application loads DLLs from its own directory, current working directory, or paths writable by non-admin users.Affected if The application loads DLLs from directories outside the system-protected paths (Windows\System32, Windows\SysWOW64) without verifying the DLL signature or using absolute paths.
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Check application directory permissionsRight-click the application installation folder, select Properties > Security. Verify which users have Write or Modify permissions to the folder where the main executable resides.Affected if Non-admin users or the Everyone group has Write or Modify permissions to the application directory, allowing placement of malicious DLLs.
The system is affected if any of the seven AutomationDirect products are installed and the version is at or below the affected thresholds, especially if the application directory is writable by standard users.
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 dataUpdate to vendor-supplied patched versions that implement proper DLL verification (e.g., signed DLLs, absolute paths, or manifest-based binding). If patches are unavailable, ensure the application directory is protected and avoid running from untrusted locations.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-14020 — 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-2017-14020 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data