CVE-2020-16213
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 · uneditedAdvantech WebAccess HMI Designer, Versions 2.1.9.31 and prior. Processing specially crafted project files lacking proper validation of user supplied data may cause the system to write outside the intended buffer area, which may allow remote code execution, disclosure/modification of information, or cause the application to crash.
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 confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Advantech WebAccess HMI Designer versions 2.1.9.31 and prior when processing specially crafted project files. The application fails to properly validate user-supplied data, allowing an attacker to write outside the intended buffer boundaries, potentially leading to remote code execution, information disclosure/modification, or application denial of service.
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<= 2.1.9.31CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/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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Locate Advantech WebAccess HMI Designer installationSearch the system for the program executable (typically named WebAccessHMI.exe or similar in the Advantech WebAccess/HMI Designer installation directory)Affected if The software is installed on the system
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Identify the installed versionRight-click the executable, select Properties, and check the Version tab for the product version number, or check Add/Remove Programs for the installed versionAffected if A version number is returned
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Compare against affected versionsCompare your installed version number to the affected range: version 2.1.9.31 and all prior versions (anything <= 2.1.9.31)Affected if The installed version is 2.1.9.31 or earlier
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Verify project file processing capabilityConfirm that the HMI Designer application can create, open, or import project files - the vulnerability triggers when the application processes specially crafted project filesAffected if The application can process project files (this is the default functionality)
If Advantech WebAccess HMI Designer is installed with version 2.1.9.31 or earlier, the environment is affected by this vulnerability when processing project files.
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 dataUpdate Advantech WebAccess HMI Designer to a version beyond 2.1.9.31, or implement application whitelisting and input validation controls to prevent untrusted project files from being loaded.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-16213 — 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-2020-16213 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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