CVE-2019-18255
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 · uneditedHMI/SCADA iFIX (Versions 6.1 and prior) allows a local authenticated user to modify system-wide iFIX configurations through section objects. This may allow privilege escalation.
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 · moderate confidenceiFIX HMI/SCADA versions 6.1 and prior contain a local privilege escalation vulnerability where an authenticated user with limited privileges can modify system-wide iFIX configuration files through section objects, potentially elevating to administrator or system-level access.
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<= 6.1CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
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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Confirm iFIX installation and versionLocate the iFIX installation directory and check the version information, typically found in the product's About or version details, or by querying the installed programs list on the systemAffected if The installed version is iFIX 6.1 or any version prior to 6.1
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Identify iFIX configuration directoriesLocate the primary iFIX configuration directories where section objects and system-wide configuration files are stored - commonly within the iFIX installation folder or dedicated config data directoriesAffected if iFIX is installed and configuration directories exist on the system
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Check file permissions on iFIX configuration filesReview permissions on configuration files within iFIX directories, specifically looking for XML, INI, or section object files that control system behaviorAffected if Authenticated low-privilege users have write or modify permissions to system-wide iFIX configuration files
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Verify section object file access controlsExamine the access control lists (ACLs) on section object files used by iFIX to store configuration data, checking which user accounts and groups can modify these filesAffected if Non-administrator users or groups with limited privileges can modify section object files that affect system-wide settings
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Audit user access to iFIX directoriesIdentify which authenticated users have access to iFIX configuration directories and review whether users outside the Administrators or Power Users group can write to these locationsAffected if Users with limited privileges (non-admin) can modify iFIX configuration directories or files
A system is affected if iFIX version 6.1 or prior is installed AND authenticated users with limited privileges have write access to iFIX configuration files or section objects that control system-wide settings.
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 dataRestrict file system permissions on iFIX configuration directories and section object files to prevent modification by non-privileged users; implement least-privilege access controls; apply vendor patches when available.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,680.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-18255 — 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-2019-18255 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data