CVE-2019-16675
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 and remote code execution. The attacker needs to get access to an original PC Worx or Config+ project to be able to manipulate data inside. After manipulation, the attacker needs to exchange the original files with the manipulated ones 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+ suffer from an out-of-bounds read vulnerability when parsing manipulated project files. An attacker who gains access to an original project file can modify its contents to trigger the vulnerability during file parsing, potentially achieving remote code execution on the affected 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<= 1.86<= 1.86<= 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 Programs and Features or list installed applications for 'PC Worx', 'Config+', or 'PC Worx Express'. Also check common installation paths such as C:\Program Files\Phoenix Contact\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Phoenix Contact\ for the software directories.Affected if Any of these three products are installed on the system
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Determine installed versionOpen the application's About or Help menu within the software, or right-click the executable in the installation folder and view Properties > Details to find the File Version. The version typically displays as a three-part number (for example, 1.86).Affected if The installed version is 1.86 or lower (versions 1.87 and above are patched)
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Verify project file handling is in useConfirm the software is used to open, create, or edit .pcw or related project files. The vulnerability triggers specifically when parsing manipulated project files, so usage of this functionality is required for exploitation.Affected if Users open or parse project files with the affected software
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Check for untrusted project file sourcesReview the directories where project files are stored (typically user-defined, check common engineering project folders). Determine if files from external or untrusted sources could be imported or opened by the software.Affected if Project files from untrusted or external sources can be loaded into the software
The system is affected if Phoenix Contact Config+, PC Worx, or PC Worx Express version 1.86 or lower is installed and users open or parse project files, especially those from untrusted sources.
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 apply vendor patches when released, implement file integrity monitoring on project directories, and train users on the risks of importing project files from untrusted sources.
- 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-2019-16675 — 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-2019-16675 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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