dbcve.org
Automation StudioApplication · Br Automation

CVE-2021-22280

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.12 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated

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
Improper DLL loading algorithms in B&R Automation Studio versions >=4.0 and <4.12 may allow an authenticated local attacker to execute code in the context of the product.

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

B&R Automation Studio versions 4.0 through 4.11 contain improper DLL loading algorithms that allow an authenticated local attacker to execute arbitrary code by placing a malicious DLL in a location where the application will load it, likely due to insecure library path handling or missing absolute path specifications.

MitigationUpgrade B&R Automation Studio to version 4.12 or later. As an interim measure, ensure the application runs from trusted directories and monitor for unauthorized DLL placement in application directories.

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
Automation StudioApplication
Affected:>= 4.0, < 4.12

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
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
High
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/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 checks

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

  1. Confirm B&R Automation Studio installation
    Check for B&R Automation Studio in the system by looking for its installation directory (commonly in C:\Program Files\B&R Automation Studio or C:\Program Files (x86)\B&R Automation Studio) and locate the main executable (AutomationStudio.exe)
    Affected if B&R Automation Studio is installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Right-click on AutomationStudio.exe, select Properties, and check the File Version in the Details tab. Alternatively, open B&R Automation Studio and go to Help > About to view the version number
    Affected if The installed version is 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.10, or 4.11 (any version >= 4.0 but < 4.12)
  3. Identify application installation directory
    Right-click on the AutomationStudio.exe shortcut or executable, select Properties, and examine the 'Start in' field or the path to the executable itself
    Affected if The application is running from a user-writable directory, network share, or non-dedicated application folder rather than a protected Program Files directory
  4. Inspect for unauthorized DLL files
    Navigate to the B&R Automation Studio installation directory and examine all .dll files present. Check for any DLLs that were not part of a recent installation or update, especially those with names similar to system DLLs or located in unexpected subdirectories
    Affected if Unexpected DLL files exist in the application directory that are not part of the legitimate B&R Automation Studio installation

You are affected if B&R Automation Studio version 4.0 through 4.11 is installed and running from a directory where a local authenticated attacker could place a malicious DLL file.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.12 or later
Fixed in 4.12
Interim mitigation

Upgrade B&R Automation Studio to version 4.12 or later. As an interim measure, ensure the application runs from trusted directories and monitor for unauthorized DLL placement in application directories.

Recommended fix High confidence

4.12 or later

  1. Download B&R Automation Studio version 4.12 or later from the official B&R Automation website (www.br-automation.com)
  2. Install the updated version of Automation Studio on affected systems
  3. Verify the installation completed successfully
  4. Restart any running Automation Studio instances

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Automation Studio Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2021-22280 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