dbcve.org
CodemeterApplication · Wibu

CVE-2020-14515

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-09-16
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.90 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
CodeMeter (All versions prior to 6.90 when using CmActLicense update files with CmActLicense Firm Code) has an issue in the license-file signature checking mechanism, which allows attackers to build arbitrary license files, including forging a valid license file as if it were a valid license file of an existing vendor. Only CmActLicense update files with CmActLicense Firm Code are affected.

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

CodeMeter versions prior to 6.90 contain a flaw in the license-file signature verification mechanism for CmActLicense update files using CmActLicense Firm Code. This allows attackers to forge arbitrary license files by bypassing cryptographic signature checks, impersonating legitimate vendor licenses.

MitigationUpgrade CodeMeter to version 6.90 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict access to CmActLicense update file handling and monitor for unauthorized license file modifications.

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
CodemeterApplication
Affected:< 6.90

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
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

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

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

  1. Identify installed CodeMeter version
    Locate the CodeMeter installation and check the version number. On Windows, this can be found in 'Add or Remove Programs' or by checking the CodeMeterCC.exe file properties. On Linux, check the installed package version using the package manager (dpkg -l codemeter or rpm -q codemeter). On macOS, check the application bundle info.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 6.90 (e.g., 6.80, 6.70, etc.)
  2. Confirm CodeMeter runtime is active
    Verify that the CodeMeter runtime service is running. On Windows, check the 'CodeMeter Runtime Server' service in Services.msc. On Linux, check if the codemeter service is active (systemctl status codemeter).
    Affected if The CodeMeter runtime service is present and running on any version below 6.90
  3. Determine if CmActLicense is in use
    Check for CmActLicense license files (.cmactlic) on the system. These are typically stored in the CodeMeter data directory or application-specific license folders. Look for files with the .cmactlic extension.
    Affected if CmActLicense files (.cmactlic) are present on the system
  4. Check for Firm Code configuration
    Inspect the CmActLicense configuration to determine if Firm Code is being used. This may be visible in the CodeMeter Control Center under CmActLicense details, or in any license file metadata. Firm Code is the specific component mentioned in the vulnerability.
    Affected if The CmActLicense implementation uses or references a Firm Code for license generation/validation

The environment is affected if CodeMeter version is below 6.90 AND CmActLicense with Firm Code is configured or in use, as this is the specific signature verification bypass scenario described in the CVE.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.90 or later
Fixed in 6.90
Interim mitigation

Upgrade CodeMeter to version 6.90 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict access to CmActLicense update file handling and monitor for unauthorized license file modifications.

Fix this in Codemeter Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
19.0 hours of engineering $3,320
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,312.

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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-2020-14515 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