CVE-2021-34597
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 · uneditedImproper Input Validation vulnerability in PC Worx Automation Suite of Phoenix Contact up to version 1.88 could allow an attacker with a manipulated project file to unpack arbitrary files outside of the selected project directory.
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 confidencePC Worx Automation Suite contains an improper input validation vulnerability in its project file unpacking functionality. An attacker can craft a manipulated project file containing paths with directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../) to write files outside the intended project directory. This allows arbitrary file overwrite on the affected system.
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<= 1.88<= 1.88CVSS 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.
-
Identify installed PC Worx productCheck installed programs list or program files directory for 'PC Worx' or 'PC Worx Express' installations. Use 'Programs and Features' control panel or PowerShell Get-ItemProperty on registry key HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*Affected if Either PC Worx or PC Worx Express is listed as installed software
-
Determine exact version numberRight-click the main executable (typically named PCWorx.exe or similar in the installation directory) and view Properties, then check the 'Details' tab for Product Version, or query via Windows Management Instrumentation (wmic) product where name like '%PC Worx%'Affected if Installed version is 1.88 or lower, or version cannot be determined (unknown version may still be vulnerable)
-
Verify project file usageSearch for .pwx or other project file extensions associated with PC Worx in user directories, particularly in common project storage locations or recent filesAffected if Project files (.pwx or similar) are created, opened, or processed on the system
-
Check for untrusted project file handlingReview recent PC Worx project files and determine their origin - whether they came from untrusted external sources, vendor exchanges, or unknown partiesAffected if Project files from external or untrusted sources are processed without manual path validation
User is affected if PC Worx or PC Worx Express version 1.88 or lower is installed AND project files are processed, particularly from external or untrusted sources.
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 to version 1.88 or later if available. Until then, validate all file paths in project files before extraction and reject paths containing traversal sequences. Use allowlist-based path validation to ensure extracted files remain within the designated project directory.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,040.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-34597 — 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-2021-34597 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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