CVE-2023-2186
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 · uneditedOn Triangle MicroWorks' SCADA Data Gateway version <= v5.01.03, an unauthenticated attacker can send a specially crafted broadcast message including format string characters to the SCADA Data Gateway to perform unrestricted memory reads.An unauthenticated user can use this format string vulnerability to repeatedly crash the GTWWebMonitor.exe process to DoS the Web Monitor. Furthermore, an authenticated user can leverage this vulnerability to leak memory from the GTWWebMonitor.exe process. This could be leveraged in an exploit chain to gain code execution.
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 format string vulnerability in Triangle MicroWorks SCADA Data Gateway <= v5.01.03 allows unauthenticated attackers to send specially crafted broadcast messages containing format string characters, enabling unrestricted memory reads and denial of service via repeated crashes of the GTWWebMonitor.exe process. Authenticated users can further exploit this to leak process memory, potentially achieving code execution.
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<= 5.01.03CVSS 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.
-
Verify SCADA Data Gateway installationLook for Triangle MicroWorks SCADA Data Gateway in installed programs (Control Panel > Programs and Features) or check the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Triangle MicroWorks\SCADA Data Gateway or C:\Program Files (x86)\Triangle MicroWorks\SCADA Data Gateway)Affected if The software is present on the system
-
Determine installed versionOpen the application's About or Help menu, or check the version information of the executable files in the installation directory. You can also right-click on GTWWebMonitor.exe in Task Manager or the installation folder and select Properties > Details to view the File VersionAffected if The version is 5.01.03 or lower
-
Confirm vulnerable process is runningOpen Task Manager or use 'tasklist' command line and look for GTWWebMonitor.exe processAffected if GTWWebMonitor.exe is currently running - this is the process subject to crashes and memory reads
-
Assess network exposureCheck if the SCADA Data Gateway is exposed to network access, especially untrusted networks. Review firewall rules and any port forwarding configurations. The vulnerability is exploitable via broadcast messages, so external/network accessibility increases riskAffected if The system is reachable from untrusted networks or the gateway accepts broadcast traffic from untrusted sources
If SCADA Data Gateway version 5.01.03 or lower is installed with GTWWebMonitor.exe running and accessible over the network, the environment is affected by this vulnerability
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 dataUpgrade Triangle MicroWorks SCADA Data Gateway to a version beyond v5.01.03 that addresses this format string vulnerability; if immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the SCADA Data Gateway to minimize exposure to unauthenticated attackers.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 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 $7,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-2186 — 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-2023-2186 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