CVE-2019-12871
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 a Use-After-Free 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 confidenceA Use-After-Free vulnerability exists in the project file parsing logic of PHOENIX CONTACT PC Worx (through 1.86), PC Worx Express (through 1.86), and Config+ (through 1.86). By crafting a malicious project file that manipulates memory structures during parsing, an attacker can trigger memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution on the targeted 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 installed Phoenix Contact softwareCheck Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries containing 'Phoenix Contact', 'PC Worx', or 'Config+', or check common install paths such as C:\Program Files\Phoenix Contact or C:\Program Files (x86)\Phoenix ContactAffected if Either PC Worx, PC Worx Express, or Config+ is found installed on the system
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Determine exact software versionRight-click the executable (typically PCWorx.exe or ConfigPlus.exe) in the installation folder, select Properties, and view the version number on the Details tab, or check the version in Add/Remove ProgramsAffected if The installed version is 1.86 or lower (any version 'through 1.86')
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Locate project file associationsCheck file associations for project file extensions used by PC Worx (commonly .pjx, .pcw, .spj) by searching the installation directory for these file types or checking HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT in the registry for associated extensionsAffected if The software is configured to open project files, which is the default state for PC Worx and Config+ applications
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Verify project file processing capabilityOpen the software and attempt to access the project file open dialog, or check the application logs for recent project file loading activityAffected if The software can load and parse project files, which is the normal operating mode required to trigger the vulnerability
The environment is affected if PC Worx (any variant) or Config+ is installed at version 1.86 or lower and the software is used to open project files, as the Use-After-Free flaw exists in the project file parsing logic.
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 dataOrganizations should immediately inventory all PC Worx and Config+ installations, update to patched versions beyond 1.86, implement file integrity monitoring on project file repositories, and train users to only open project files from trusted sources. Network segmentation of engineering workstations provides defense-in-depth.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-12871 — 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-2019-12871 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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