CVE-2019-6854
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 · uneditedA CWE-287: Improper Authentication vulnerability exists in a folder within EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert (ClearSCADA) -with initial releases before 1 January 2019- which could cause a low privilege user to delete or modify database, setting or certificate files. Those users must have access to the file system of that operating system to exploit this vulnerability. Affected versions in current support includes ClearSCADA 2017 R3, ClearSCADA 2017 R2, and ClearSCADA 2017.
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 confidenceImproper authentication in a specific folder within ClearSCADA (EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert) allows low-privilege users with OS file system access to delete or modify sensitive files including database files, settings, and certificates. The vulnerability stems from insufficient access controls on a folder that should require higher-level authentication.
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= 2017CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 the installed ClearSCADA versionOpen the ClearSCADA or EcoStruxure Geo SCADA Expert client, then navigate to Help > About, or check the program's version information in Windows Programs and FeaturesAffected if The installed version is ClearSCADA 2017 (exact build 2017)
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Locate the ClearSCADA installation directoryOpen Windows File Explorer and navigate to the default installation path, typically C:\Program Files\Schneider Electric\ClearSCADA or C:\Program Files (x86)\Schneider Electric\ClearSCADA, or check the installation path from the application shortcut propertiesAffected if The installation directory exists and contains application folders
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Identify the specific folder with insufficient access controlsExamine folders within the ClearSCADA installation directory that contain sensitive files such as database files (.db, .dbs), configuration files (.xml, .ini), and certificate files (.pem, .cer, .pfx)Affected if A folder containing sensitive files exists and may lack proper access restrictions
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Verify file system permissions on sensitive foldersRight-click on the identified sensitive folder, select Properties, then go to the Security tab. Check the permissions for users with limited or low-privilege accounts (such as Users orAuthenticated Users). Verify if these accounts have Write, Modify, or Full Control permissionsAffected if Low-privilege user accounts (non-administrator) have Write, Modify, or Full Control permissions on folders containing database files, settings, or certificates
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Test write access with a low-privilege accountUsing a standard user account (not an administrator), attempt to create, modify, or delete a test file within the sensitive application folder. Observe whether the operation succeeds without prompting for elevated authenticationAffected if A low-privilege user can create, modify, or delete files in the sensitive folder without requiring additional authentication
You are affected if the installed ClearSCADA version is 2017 and low-privilege users have write or modify access to folders containing database files, settings, or certificates.
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 dataUpgrade to ClearSCADA versions released after January 1, 2019, which contain the fix. Additionally, restrict file system permissions to ensure low-privilege users cannot access sensitive application directories.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-6854 — 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-2019-6854 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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