CVE-2017-7968
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 · uneditedAn Incorrect Default Permissions issue was discovered in Schneider Electric Wonderware InduSoft Web Studio v8.0 Patch 3 and prior versions. Upon installation, Wonderware InduSoft Web Studio creates a new directory and two files, which are placed in the system's path and can be manipulated by non-administrators. This could allow an authenticated user to escalate his or her privileges.
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 confidenceSchneider Electric Wonderware InduSoft Web Studio v8.0 Patch 3 and prior creates a new directory and two files in the system path during installation with insecure default permissions. Non-administrator authenticated users can manipulate these files, potentially allowing local privilege escalation by replacing or modifying executable files or configurations in the system path.
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<= 8.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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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Verify if InduSoft Web Studio is installedCheck the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for an entry named 'InduSoft Web Studio' or 'Wonderware InduSoft Web Studio', or look in common installation paths such as C:\Program Files\Wonderware or C:\Program Files (x86)\WonderwareAffected if The software is present on the system
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Identify the installation directoryIf found in the registry, check the 'InstallLocation' value; otherwise, locate the main executable (typically InduSoftWebStudio.exe or similar) and note the base installation folderAffected if The installation directory is in a location writable by non-administrator users
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Locate the installation-created directory in system pathExamine the installation directory for a subfolder that was created during installation (the CVE notes a new directory with two files were placed in the system path); compare the folder creation date to the software installation dateAffected if A directory exists in the installation path that was created by the installer with permissions allowing user modification
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Inspect permissions on the directory and its filesRight-click the identified directory, go to Properties > Security, and check the permissions granted to Users or Authenticated Users groups; verify if they have Write or Modify permissionsAffected if Non-administrator users have Write, Modify, or Full Control permissions on the directory or its contents
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Check if executable or configuration files are writableExamine the specific files in that directory (noted as two files in the CVE) to determine if standard users can overwrite, delete, or modify themAffected if Executable files (.exe, .dll) or configuration files (.ini, .xml, .cfg) in that location are writable by non-administrator accounts
A user is affected if Wonderware InduSoft Web Studio v8.0 or earlier is installed and the installation-created directory in the system path grants Write or Modify permissions to non-administrator 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 dataRestrict permissions on the installation-created directory and files to administrative-only access, or reinstall with proper permission configurations. Consider applying any available vendor patches for this specific permission issue.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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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 sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2017-7968 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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