CVE-2019-12870
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 Uninitialized Pointer 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+ (all versions through 1.86) contain an uninitialized pointer vulnerability in project file parsing. An attacker who can access and manipulate a project file can cause the software to dereference an uninitialized pointer, leading to remote code execution on the targeted workstation when the victim opens the malicious file.
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 installed PC Worx or Config+ versionOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or right-click the application executable (typically in Program Files) and select Properties > Details to view the version numberAffected if The installed version is 1.86 or lower, or the version cannot be determined (indicating it may be an affected older release)
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Confirm software presenceLook for PC Worx or Config+ executables in the installation directory (commonly under C:\Program Files\Phoenix Contact or C:\Program Files (x86)\Phoenix Contact)Affected if The software is installed on the workstation
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Assess file access exposureReview file share permissions and local access controls on directories containing .pcw or related project file types used by PC Worx/Config+Affected if Untrusted users can place or modify project files that a victim could open
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Check for recent project file activityExamine the application's recent files list or Windows jump lists for recently opened project filesAffected if The software has been used to open project files, indicating the parsing function is active
A system is affected if PC Worx or Config+ version 1.86 or lower is installed and the software is used to open project files, since the vulnerability is triggered during project file parsing.
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 vendor patches when available; until then, implement strict access controls on project files, use file integrity monitoring, and train users to only open project files from trusted sources. Consider network segmentation to limit exposure of engineering workstations.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-12870 — 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-2019-12870 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
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