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Sel 2241 Rtac Module FirmwareOperating system · Selinc

CVE-2023-31156

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

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 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in the Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Real-Time Automation Controller (SEL RTAC) Web Interface could allow a remote authenticated attacker to inject and execute arbitrary script code. See SEL Service Bulletin dated 2022-11-15 for more details.

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 confidence

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the SEL RTAC web interface allows authenticated attackers to inject malicious script code that executes in the context of other users' sessions, potentially enabling session hijacking or credential theft.

MitigationApply the vendor patch from SEL Service Bulletin (2022-11-15). If patching is immediately unavailable, implement compensating controls such as restricting web interface access to trusted networks and enforcing strict authentication policies.

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
Sel 2241 Rtac Module FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= r132-v0, < r150-v2
Sel 3350 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= r148-v0, < r150-v2
Sel 3505 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= r132-v0, < r150-v2
Sel 3505 3 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= r132-v0, < r150-v2
Sel 3530 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= r132-v0, < r150-v2
Sel 3530 4 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= r132-v0, < r150-v2
Sel 3532 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= r132-v0, < r150-v2
Sel 3555 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:>= r134-v0, < r150-v2

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/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 SEL device model
    Locate the physical device label or access the device console to determine the exact model number (e.g., SEL 2241, SEL 3350, SEL 3505, SEL 3530, SEL 3532, or SEL 3555).
    Affected if The device model matches one of the affected products listed in the CVE.
  2. Check the installed firmware version
    Access the device web interface or console and navigate to the firmware/version information section. Compare the displayed firmware version against the affected ranges: r132-v0 to r150-v1 (or r148-v0 to r150-v1 for SEL 3350, or r134-v0 to r150-v1 for SEL 3555).
    Affected if The firmware version is greater than or equal to the lower bound (r132-v0, r148-v0, or r134-v0 depending on model) AND less than r150-v2.
  3. Verify the web interface is enabled
    Confirm that the SEL RTAC web interface service is running and accessible. Check the device network configuration to ensure HTTP/HTTPS web serving is active.
    Affected if The web interface is enabled and reachable on the network.
  4. Confirm user authentication is configured
    Check if local or remote user accounts are configured on the device for web interface access.
    Affected if User authentication is enabled, as the CVE requires an authenticated attacker to exploit the XSS vulnerability.

You are affected if your SEL device model is one of the listed products, your firmware version falls within any of the affected ranges (r132-v0 through r150-v1, or the model-specific lower bounds), and the web interface with authentication is enabled.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor patch from SEL Service Bulletin (2022-11-15). If patching is immediately unavailable, implement compensating controls such as restricting web interface access to trusted networks and enforcing strict authentication policies.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

r150-v2 or later

  1. 1. Backup current SEL RTAC device configuration before initiating firmware upgrade
  2. 2. Obtain the firmware version r150-v2 or later from SEL ( Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories )
  3. 3. Access the SEL RTAC Web Interface or use SEL's firmware upgrade procedure
  4. 4. Upload and install the r150-v2 firmware following SEL's documented upgrade process
  5. 5. After upgrade, verify the firmware version reflects r150-v2 or later
  6. 6. Test that the web interface functions correctly post-upgrade
  7. 7. Confirm the XSS vulnerability is resolved by attempting to inject test script payloads that were previously exploitable
Caveat Firmware upgrades may have configuration or compatibility implications; review SEL Service Bulletin for specific upgrade considerations

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

Fix this in Sel 2241 Rtac Module Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,570
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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-2023-31156 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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