CVE-2019-12869
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 issue was discovered in PHOENIX CONTACT PC Worx through 1.86, PC Worx Express through 1.86, and Config+ through 1.86. A manipulated PC Worx or Config+ project file could lead to an Out-Of-Bounds Read, Information Disclosure, and remote code execution. The attacker needs to get access to an original PC Worx or Config+ project file to be able to manipulate it. After manipulation, the attacker needs to exchange the original file with the manipulated one on the application programming workstation.
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 confidencePHOENIX CONTACT PC Worx and Config+ (versions through 1.86) contain a file parsing vulnerability where manipulated project files trigger an out-of-bounds read, leading to information disclosure and potential remote code execution. The attack requires the attacker to obtain, modify, and replace a legitimate project file on the target workstation.
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<= 1.86CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/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 if PC Worx or Config+ is installedCheck Program Files for 'Phoenix Contact' folder, or look for PC Worx/Config+ in the Windows Start Menu or installed programs listAffected if Either PC Worx or Config+ software is present on the system
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Determine the installed version of PC Worx or Config+Open the application and navigate to Help > About, or check the Windows 'Programs and Features' control panel for the version entryAffected if The displayed version is 1.86 or lower
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Verify project file handling is in useLook for .pcw or .cfg project files on the workstation, or check recent file access in the applicationAffected if The software has been used to open or create project files (.pcw, .cfg)
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Check if project directories have proper access controlsReview file system permissions on project folders to verify only authorized users can write to themAffected if Project directories allow write access to untrusted users or lack integrity monitoring
A system is affected if Phoenix Contact PC Worx or Config+ version 1.86 or lower is installed and handles project files, since manipulated project files can trigger the out-of-bounds read vulnerability.
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 dataUntil vendor patches are available, organizations should implement file integrity controls on project directories, restrict workstation access, verify file provenance before loading, and consider application whitelisting to block execution of modified project files.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-12869 — 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-2019-12869 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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