CVE-2020-25163
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 · uneditedA remote attacker with write access to PI ProcessBook files could inject code that is imported into OSIsoft PI Vision 2020 versions prior to 3.5.0. Unauthorized information disclosure, modification, or deletion is also possible if a victim views or interacts with the infected display. This vulnerability affects PI System data and other data accessible with victim’s user permissions.
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 confidenceThis is a code injection vulnerability in OSIsoft PI Vision where a remote attacker with write access to PI ProcessBook files can inject malicious code. When the infected display is imported into PI Vision and viewed by a victim, the injected code executes with the victim's user permissions, enabling unauthorized information disclosure, modification, or deletion of PI System data.
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< 2020CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed PI Vision versionLocate the PI Vision installation and check the version information, typically found in the application metadata, installer details, or system information about the softwareAffected if Version is earlier than 3.5.0 or prior to the 2020 release
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Verify PI ProcessBook import functionality is accessibleConfirm whether the PI ProcessBook file import feature is available and enabled in the PI Vision interface or configuration settingsAffected if Import capability for PI ProcessBook displays is present and operational
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Review write permissions on PI ProcessBook file repositoriesExamine file system permissions and access controls for directories containing PI ProcessBook files (such as .pdi or .pbf files)Affected if Unauthorized or broad write access exists for these file locations
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Inspect recently imported PI Vision displaysAudit the display files that have been imported into PI Vision, looking for unexpected or untrusted PI ProcessBook importsAffected if Displays originating from untrusted or external PI ProcessBook files are present in the system
System is vulnerable if PI Vision version is below 3.5.0 and PI ProcessBook file import functionality is accessible to users
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.
dbcve · scoped2020
Upgrade PI Vision to version 3.5.0 or later. Additionally, restrict write access to PI ProcessBook files and validate all imported files before processing.
PI Vision 3.5.0 or later
- Upgrade OSIsoft PI Vision to version 3.5.0 or later
- After upgrade, verify the PI Vision application is running the updated version
- Review existing PI ProcessBook displays files for any suspicious injected code before importing them into PI Vision
- Test the upgraded system to ensure all functionality works as expected
- Document the upgrade in change management system
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-25163 — 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-2020-25163 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data