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Kepware KepserverexApplication · Ptc

CVE-2023-29447

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-01-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 8.5 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

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
An insufficiently protected credentials vulnerability in KEPServerEX could allow an adversary to capture user credentials as the web server uses basic authentication.

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

KEPServerEX's web server implements basic authentication, which transmits user credentials in base64-encoded plaintext. An adversary with network access can intercept these credentials, as basic authentication provides no encryption or cryptographic protection for authentication credentials.

MitigationConfigure the web server to use HTTPS with TLS encryption and implement stronger authentication mechanisms (such as digest authentication or token-based authentication) instead of basic authentication to protect credentials in transit.

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
Kepware KepserverexApplication
Affected:>= 6.0.2107.0, <= 6.14.263.0
Thingworx Kepware ServerApplication
Affected:>= 6.8, <= 6.14.263.0
Thingworx Industrial ConnectivityApplication
Affected:>= 8.0, <= 8.5

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
Adjacent
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify the installed product and version
    Open the application's main interface or check Windows Programs and Features for 'KEPServerEX', 'Thingworx Kepware Server', or 'Thingworx Industrial Connectivity'. Note the exact version number displayed.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 6.0.2107.0 to 6.14.263.0 for KEPServerEX or Thingworx Kepware Server, or 8.0 to 8.5 for Thingworx Industrial Connectivity.
  2. Determine if the web server interface is enabled
    Check if the product's web server configuration is active. This is typically accessible through the product's configuration tool or by accessing the web server port (default 80/443) on the machine where the software is installed.
    Affected if The web server interface is listening and accessible on the network.
  3. Inspect the web server authentication configuration
    Access the web server configuration settings within the product (usually in the runtime configuration or administration settings). Look for the authentication settings or security configuration to identify if basic authentication is enabled.
    Affected if Basic authentication is configured as the authentication method for the web server.
  4. Verify network accessibility of the web server
    Attempt to access the web server endpoint from another machine on the network using a browser or HTTP client. If the server responds with an authentication challenge (HTTP 401), it is using basic or digest authentication.
    Affected if The web server is reachable over the network and responds with an authentication challenge without TLS encryption.

You are affected if the installed version is within the affected ranges AND the web server interface is enabled and using basic authentication without TLS encryption.

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 a release after 8.5
Interim mitigation

Configure the web server to use HTTPS with TLS encryption and implement stronger authentication mechanisms (such as digest authentication or token-based authentication) instead of basic authentication to protect credentials in transit.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to a version greater than 6.14.263.0 (e.g., 6.15 or later release)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed KEPServerEX, Thingworx Kepware Server, or Thingworx Industrial Connectivity version.
  2. 2. Download the latest version of the affected software from the official PTC support portal at support.ptc.com.
  3. 3. Review all release notes and security advisories for the new version to understand included security fixes.
  4. 4. Ensure you have a complete backup of your current configuration and project files.
  5. 5. Stop all KEPServerEX services before upgrading.
  6. 6. Install the latest version (greater than 6.14.263.0) following PTC's installation documentation.
  7. 7. After installation, verify the web server configuration to ensure basic authentication is properly protected (e.g., ensure TLS/SSL is enforced for all web connections).
  8. 8. Restart services and validate that all expected functionality operates correctly.
Caveat Review release notes for any configuration or feature changes between your current version and the new version; test in a non-production environment first

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

Fix this in Kepware Kepserverex Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2023-29447 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