CVE-2020-6970
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 Heap-based Buffer Overflow was found in Emerson OpenEnterprise SCADA Server 2.83 (if Modbus or ROC Interfaces have been installed and are in use) and all versions of OpenEnterprise 3.1 through 3.3.3, where a specially crafted script could execute code on the OpenEnterprise Server.
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 confidenceA heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Emerson OpenEnterprise SCADA Server versions 2.83 (with Modbus or ROC Interfaces installed) and 3.1 through 3.3.3. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via specially crafted scripts sent to the affected server.
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>= 3.1, <= 3.3.3= 2.8.3CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.
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Confirm Emerson OpenEnterprise SCADA Server is installedCheck for the presence of OpenEnterprise installation directories (typically under C:\Program Files\Emerson or C:\Emerson\OpenEnterprise) or check Windows Services for 'OpenEnterprise' or 'OEServer' servicesAffected if The software is present on the system
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Identify installed version numberLocate the version information in the installation directory, typically in an 'About' dialog, version.dll, or in the Windows Service entry for the OpenEnterprise server serviceAffected if The installed version matches 2.8.3 OR falls within the range 3.1 through 3.3.3
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For version 2.8.3, verify Modbus or ROC Interface modulesCheck the OpenEnterprise configuration files or installed components list for the presence of Modbus Interface or ROC Interface modules, typically found in the configuration directory or component listAffected if Running version 2.8.3 WITH Modbus or ROC Interfaces installed
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Verify network exposure of the serviceCheck network listening ports (typically TCP ports 5000-5002 or as configured) and firewall rules to determine if the SCADA server is accessible from network segments outside the control systemAffected if The server is listening on accessible network interfaces and accepts remote connections
You are affected if OpenEnterprise SCADA Server version 2.8.3 with Modbus/ROC Interfaces, or version 3.1-3.3.3 is installed and the server is network-accessible to untrusted systems.
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 available patches from Emerson, and if no patch is available, minimize network exposure of the SCADA server and implement network segmentation to reduce attack surface.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing16.0 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 $8,576.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-6970 — 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-2020-6970 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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