CVE-2020-14481
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 · uneditedThe DeskLock tool provided with FactoryTalk View SE uses a weak encryption algorithm that may allow a local, authenticated attacker to decipher user credentials, including the Windows user or Windows DeskLock passwords. If the compromised user has an administrative account, an attacker could gain full access to the user’s operating system and certain components of FactoryTalk View SE.
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 confidenceThe DeskLock tool in FactoryTalk View SE uses a weak encryption algorithm to store Windows user credentials and Windows DeskLock passwords. A local, authenticated attacker with access to the affected system can decrypt these stored credentials and gain the plaintext passwords.
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<= 9.0= 10.0CVSS 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.
-
Verify FactoryTalk View SE installationCheck if FactoryTalk View SE is installed on the system by looking in Programs and Features (Add/Remove Programs) or searching for 'FactoryTalk View' in the Windows installation directory, typically under C:\Program Files\Rockwell Software\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockwell Software\Affected if FactoryTalk View SE is installed with version <= 9.0 or exactly version 10.0
-
Confirm installed version numberOpen Windows Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Rockwell Software\FactoryTalk View or check the version property of the installed executable. The version is typically displayed as Major.Minor.Build (e.g., 10.0.0.123)Affected if Version displayed is 9.0.x (any build) or 10.0.x (any build)
-
Identify if DeskLock feature is configuredOpen FactoryTalk View SE Administration console and check if DeskLock is enabled, or look for DeskLock configuration files in the FactoryTalk View data directory (typically in C:\ProgramData\Rockwell\FactoryTalk View\ or within the project folder)Affected if DeskLock is enabled and credential storage is present
-
Locate stored credential filesSearch forDeskLock-related files in the FactoryTalk View data directories, particularly looking for files that may contain encrypted passwords (commonly with extensions like .dat, .xml, or .pwd in the DeskLock or security folders)Affected if Encrypted credential files exist and are readable by authenticated local users
-
Check file permissions on credential storageRight-click on the identified credential storage files, go to Properties > Security, and verify which Windows user accounts have Read or Read & Execute permissions. Any authenticated local user with read access could potentially decrypt the weak encryptionAffected if Non-admin users have read access to stored credential files
You are affected if FactoryTalk View SE version 9.0 or 10.0 is installed and DeskLock is configured to store credentials with weak encryption that could be decrypted by a local authenticated attacker.
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 dataApply vendor patches when available; implement compensating controls such as restricting local physical and logical access to the system, monitoring for unauthorized access, and ensuring users follow strong password policies. Consider using alternative authentication mechanisms if supported.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,608.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-14481 — 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-2020-14481 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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