CVE-2019-10916
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 · uneditedA vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.0 and earlier (All versions), SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1 (All versions < V8.1 with WinCC V7.3 Upd 19), SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.2 (All versions < V8.2 SP1 with WinCC V7.4 SP1 Upd11), SIMATIC PCS 7 V9.0 (All versions < V9.0 SP2 with WinCC V7.4 SP1 Upd11), SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) V13 (All versions), SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) V14 (All versions < V14 SP1 Upd 9), SIMATIC WinCC (TIA Portal) V15 (All versions < V15.1 Upd 3), SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional V13 (All versions), SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional V14 (All versions < V14.1 Upd 8), SIMATIC WinCC Runtime Professional V15 (All versions < V15.1 Upd 3), SIMATIC WinCC V7.2 and earlier (All versions), SIMATIC WinCC V7.3 (All versions < V7.3 Upd 19), SIMATIC WinCC V7.4 (All versions < V7.4 SP1 Upd 11), SIMATIC WinCC V7.5 (All versions < V7.5 Upd 3). An attacker with access to the project file could run arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the local database server. The vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker with access to the project file. The vulnerability does impact the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. At the time of advisory publication no public exploitation of this security vulnerability was known.
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 confidenceThis is a command injection vulnerability in SIMATIC PCS 7 and WinCC where an attacker with access to the project file can execute arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the local database server. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of project file contents, allowing malicious commands to be embedded and executed.
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= 8.1= 8.2= 9.0<= 7.2= 7.3= 7.4= 7.5= 13.0= 14.0= 15.0all versionsCVSS 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:3.1/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if Simatic WinCC or PCS 7 is installedCheck the system for Siemens SIMATIC software installation. Typical installation locations include C:\Program Files\Siemens\WinCC or C:\Program Files\Siemens\PCS7. Verify the presence of WinCC or PCS 7 related directories and executables.Affected if The software is present on the system.
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Determine the installed versionLocate version information in the software installation directory, typically found in About or Readme files, or check the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\WinCC or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\PCS7 for version keys.Affected if The installed version matches any of the following: WinCC <= 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, or 7.5; WinCC TIA Portal 13.0, 14.0, or 15.0; WinCC Runtime Professional any version; PCS 7 <= 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, or 9.0.
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Locate and inspect project filesFind project files associated with WinCC or PCS 7. These are typically stored in project folders within the installation directory or in designated project paths. Check file permissions and verify if unauthorized modification is possible.Affected if Project files exist and are writable by users who should not have write access, as the vulnerability is exploited by embedding malicious commands in project files.
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Check database server service contextIdentify the local database server process used by WinCC or PCS 7 (typically Microsoft SQL Server or similar). Verify the service account privileges under which it runs.Affected if The database server runs with elevated privileges, as the vulnerability allows command execution with the privileges of the local database server.
You are affected if Simatic WinCC or PCS 7 is installed and the version falls within the affected ranges AND project files can be accessed or modified by an attacker.
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 dataApply the vendor-supplied updates for the specific versions listed (e.g., WinCC V7.3 Upd 19, V7.4 SP1 Upd 11, V7.5 Upd 3, V14 SP1 Upd 9, V15.1 Upd 3) and implement strict access controls on project files to prevent unauthorized access.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-10916 — 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-2019-10916 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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