DeltavApplication · Emerson

CVE-2018-14795

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-08-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
DeltaV Versions 11.3.1, 12.3.1, 13.3.0, 13.3.1, and R5 is vulnerable due to improper path validation which may allow an attacker to replace executable files.

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

DeltaV distributed control system versions 11.3.1, 12.3.1, 13.3.0, 13.3.1, and R5 contain an improper path validation vulnerability that could allow an authenticated attacker to replace executable files on the system, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or system compromise.

MitigationApply Emerson-provided patches for DeltaV; until patches are available, restrict network access to DeltaV systems and implement strict file system permissions on executable directories to prevent unauthorized file replacement.

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
DeltavApplication
Affected:= 11.3.1= 12.3.1= 13.3.0= 13.3.1= r5

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
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify installed DeltaV version
    Locate the DeltaV version information through the DeltaV system diagnostics, operator interface, or by checking the DeltaV installation directory for version manifest files. Common locations include the DeltaV installation folder or system information screens accessible from the operator workstation.
    Affected if The installed version matches 11.3.1, 12.3.1, 13.3.0, 13.3.1, or R5 exactly.
  2. Verify file system permissions on executable directories
    Examine the access control lists (ACLs) and file permissions on the DeltaV executable directories. Use operating system tools to list permissions on directories where DeltaV executables and binaries are stored.
    Affected if Authenticated users or groups have write permissions to directories containing DeltaV executable files.
  3. Check for improper path validation in file operations
    Review DeltaV configuration files and logs for any file write operations that may not validate path parameters correctly. Focus on functionality that allows users to specify file paths for executable or script uploads.
    Affected if The system allows authenticated users to specify arbitrary file paths for executable operations without proper validation.
  4. Audit user and group access rights
    Enumerate all user accounts and group memberships in the DeltaV security database or Windows Active Directory if integrated. Identify which accounts have authenticated access to the DeltaV system.
    Affected if Multiple authenticated users exist beyond strict administrative accounts, increasing the attack surface for this vulnerability.

A system is affected if it runs DeltaV version 11.3.1, 12.3.1, 13.3.0, 13.3.1, or R5 AND allows authenticated users to write to directories containing executable files.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Emerson-provided patches for DeltaV; until patches are available, restrict network access to DeltaV systems and implement strict file system permissions on executable directories to prevent unauthorized file replacement.

Fix this in Deltav Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,140
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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

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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-2018-14795 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