CVE-2023-31278
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 · uneditedHorner Automation Cscape lacks proper validation of user-supplied data when parsing project files (e.g., HMI). This could lead to an out-of-bounds read. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to potentially execute arbitrary code in the context of the current process.
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 confidenceHorner Automation Cscape contains a vulnerability in its project file (HMI) parser that fails to properly validate user-supplied data. This improper validation leads to an out-of-bounds read condition that can be triggered by a specially crafted malicious project file. An attacker who convinces a user to open a malicious project file can achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the running Cscape process.
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= 9.90= 4.70CVSS 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.
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Check if Horner Automation Cscape software is installedLook for Cscape executable in typical installation locations: C:\Program Files\Horner Automation\Cscape\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Horner Automation\Cscape\. Also check Start Menu for Cscape or Envisionrv programs.Affected if The software is present on the system
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Determine the installed version of CscapeRight-click on the Cscape executable (commonly Cscape.exe), select Properties, then go to the Details tab to view the Product Version. Alternatively, open Cscape and check Help > About.Affected if Version equals 9.90 (for Cscape) or equals 4.70 (for Envisionrv)
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Check for Envisionrv installation and versionIf Cscape Envisionrv is installed, locate its executable (often in C:\Program Files\Horner Automation\Envisionrv\) and check its version the same way as step 2.Affected if Version equals 4.70 for Envisionrv
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Review recent project file accessCheck Windows Event Viewer or the application's recent files list for any recently opened .hmi or .csp files, especially from untrusted or unknown sources.Affected if User has recently opened a .hmi or .csp file from an untrusted source since the vulnerability was disclosed
Your environment is affected if you have Horner Automation Cscape version 9.90 or Cscape Envisionrv version 4.70 installed AND you have opened a specially crafted malicious project file.
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 dataUntil an official patch is released, avoid opening untrusted or unverified Cscape project files (.hmi, .csp, etc.) and ensure the software runs with the least privilege necessary. Monitor vendor advisories for patch availability.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-31278 — 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-2023-31278 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
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- 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
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