dbcve.org
Factorytalk LinxApplication · Rockwellautomation

CVE-2020-12001

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-06-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.11.00 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
FactoryTalk Linx versions 6.00, 6.10, and 6.11, RSLinx Classic v4.11.00 and prior,Connected Components Workbench: Version 12 and prior, ControlFLASH: Version 14 and later, ControlFLASH Plus: Version 1 and later, FactoryTalk Asset Centre: Version 9 and later, FactoryTalk Linx CommDTM: Version 1 and later, Studio 5000 Launcher: Version 31 and later Stud, 5000 Logix Designer software: Version 32 and prior is vulnerable. The parsing mechanism that processes certain file types does not provide input sanitation. This may allow an attacker to use specially crafted files to traverse the file system and modify or expose sensitive data or execute arbitrary code.

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 confidence

This is a path traversal vulnerability in the file parsing mechanism of multiple Rockwell Automation industrial software products. The parsing logic for certain file types lacks proper input sanitization, allowing specially crafted files to perform directory traversal, access or modify sensitive system files, and potentially execute arbitrary code.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches or updates to all affected software versions. If patches are unavailable, implement compensating controls such as restricting file handling permissions, network segmentation, and monitoring for suspicious file processing activity.

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
Factorytalk LinxApplication
Affected:= 6.00= 6.10= 6.11
Rslinx ClassicApplication
Affected:<= 4.11.00

CVSS 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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Rockwell Automation software
    Check Programs and Features (Windows) or use the software's About/Help menu to confirm which product is installed: Factorytalk Linx or Rslinx Classic
    Affected if Either Factorytalk Linx or Rslinx Classic is installed
  2. Determine Factorytalk Linx version
    Open Factorytalk Linx, go to Help > About, or check the Windows registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Rockwell Software\Factorytalk Linx for the Version value
    Affected if Version equals 6.00, 6.10, or 6.11
  3. Determine Rslinx Classic version
    Open Rslinx Classic, go to Help > About Rslinx Classic, or check the Windows registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Rockwell Software\RSLinx for the Version value
    Affected if Version is 4.11.00 or lower
  4. Check if file parsing or import functionality is in use
    Review system logs, recent file access timestamps, or monitor for incoming .gsd, .eds, or other configuration files being processed by the software
    Affected if The software is actively parsing or importing files from external or untrusted sources
  5. Inspect for suspicious file access patterns
    Review Windows Event Viewer Security and Application logs for file access events to system directories (C:\Windows\System32, C:\Program Files) initiated by the Rockwell software processes
    Affected if File access events show the software accessing files outside its expected operational directories

You are affected if Factorytalk Linx version 6.00, 6.10, or 6.11 is installed, OR Rslinx Classic version 4.11.00 or earlier is installed, AND the software is processing external files.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 4.11.00
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches or updates to all affected software versions. If patches are unavailable, implement compensating controls such as restricting file handling permissions, network segmentation, and monitoring for suspicious file processing activity.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to the latest available version from Rockwell Automation - FactoryTalk Linx to 6.20+, RSLinx Classic to 4.12.00+, Studio 5000 Logix Designer to v33+

  1. 1. Identify the specific product(s) in your environment from the affected list: FactoryTalk Linx, RSLinx Classic, Connected Components Workbench, ControlFLASH, ControlFLASH Plus, FactoryTalk Asset Centre, FactoryTalk Linx CommDTM, Studio 5000 Launcher, or Studio 5000 Logix Designer
  2. 2. Determine the currently installed version of each affected product
  3. 3. Navigate to the official Rockwell Automation download page or contact Rockwell Automation technical support to obtain the latest patched versions
  4. 4. For FactoryTalk Linx: Obtain version 6.20 or later from Rockwell's official channels
  5. 5. For RSLinx Classic: Obtain version 4.12.00 or later from Rockwell's official channels
  6. 6. For Studio 5000 Logix Designer: Obtain version 33 or later from Rockwell's official channels
  7. 7. For other affected products: Contact Rockwell Automation technical support for specific patched versions
  8. 8. Test the updated software in a non-production environment before deploying to production
Caveat Review release notes for the target version as newer versions may have changes to functionality or system requirements

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Factorytalk Linx Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
42.0 hours of engineering $7,360
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-12001 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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