CVE-2020-12499
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 · uneditedIn PHOENIX CONTACT PLCnext Engineer version 2020.3.1 and earlier an improper path sanitation vulnerability exists on import of project files.
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 confidencePHOENIX CONTACT PLCnext Engineer versions 2020.3.1 and earlier contain an improper path sanitation vulnerability in the project file import function. This allows path traversal attacks where malicious project files could use directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../) to write files to unintended locations outside the intended project directory.
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<= 2020-3-1CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 PLCnext Engineer installation versionLocate the PLCnext Engineer installation on the system. Check the application's 'About' dialog, or look for version information in the installation directory or uninstall registry entries. Compare the installed version against the affected range: versions 2020.3.1 and earlier.Affected if The installed version is 2020.3.1 or any earlier version (e.g., 2020.3.0, 2020.0.x, etc.)
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Verify project file import feature is presentConfirm that the PLCnext Engineer installation includes the project file import functionality. This is typically accessible through the application menu when creating or opening projects.Affected if The import feature exists and is accessible to users
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Review import operation logs or audit trailsCheck application logs, Windows event logs, or any available audit logs for recent import operations involving project files. Look for any logged errors or warnings related to file operations.Affected if There are logs indicating import operations have been performed, especially from untrusted sources
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Inspect file system for unexpected files outside project directoriesExamine the file system locations where PLCnext Engineer stores projects. Check parent directories and adjacent directories for any files that may have been written via path traversal sequences (containing ../ patterns in their paths).Affected if Files exist outside the intended project directory structure that may have been created through import operations
A system is affected if PLCnext Engineer version 2020.3.1 or earlier is installed and the project file import feature is accessible, especially if imported project files from untrusted sources have been processed.
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 PLCnext Engineer version 2020.3.2 or later which contains the patched path sanitization. Additionally, only import project files from trusted sources and verify file contents before import as a defense-in-depth measure.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-12499 — 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-2020-12499 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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