CVE-2023-3321
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 · uneditedA vulnerability exists by allowing low-privileged users to read and update the data in various directories used by the Zenon system. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by using specially crafted programs to exploit the vulnerabilities by allowing them to run on the zenon installed hosts. This issue affects ABB Ability™ zenon: from 11 build through 11 build 106404.
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 confidenceA vulnerability in ABB Ability zenon SCADA software (versions 11 through build 106404) allows low-privileged users to read and update data in system directories that should be restricted, representing an improper access control or directory traversal issue.
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<= 11.0.0CVSS 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
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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.
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Identify zenon installation and versionLocate zenon installation directory (commonly C:\Program Files\zenon or C:\Program Files (x86)\zenon). Check for zenon executable files and retrieve version information from file properties or Windows Programs and Features.Affected if Installed zenon version is 11.0.0 or earlier, or build number is 106404 or lower.
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Confirm specific build numberWithin the zenon installation directory, locate version/build information. This may be in a README file, version info dialog, or accessible via zenon editor Help > About.Affected if Build number is 106404 or lower.
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Verify user account type accessing zenonDetermine the privileges of the account being used to access zenon. Check if it is a low-privileged or non-administrator account by examining Windows user group membership (Users group vs Administrators).Affected if The account has low privileges (standard user or limited access) and can still access restricted system directories through zenon.
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Test access to system directories via zenonUsing a low-privilege zenon account, attempt to read or write files in restricted system directories such as C:\Windows\System32 or C:\Program Files. Observe whether the operation succeeds when it should be denied.Affected if Low-privileged users can successfully read from or write to directories that should be restricted.
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Review directory permissions configurationExamine the file system ACLs on sensitive directories accessed by zenon. Verify that only privileged accounts have modify/write access, while low-privilege accounts are properly restricted.Affected if Low-privilege accounts retain read and write access to protected system directories through the zenon interface.
You are affected if zenon version 11.0.0 or earlier with build 106404 or lower is installed, and low-privileged users can access restricted system directories through the zenon interface.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpdate zenon to a version beyond build 106404 (the fixed release) and review directory permissions to ensure only authorized privileged accounts can access sensitive system directories.
zenon 11 latest build (beyond build 106404) - contact ABB for exact fixed build number
- 1. Check current Zenon build version by navigating to the Zenon installation directory and locating the version information, or through the Zenon Runtime information panel
- 2. Identify the specific build number (e.g., 106404 or earlier) to confirm vulnerability status
- 3. Contact ABB technical support or visit the official ABB zenon support portal at search.abb.com to obtain the latest fixed build for version 11
- 4. Download and install the latest zenon 11 build (ensure it is newer than build 106404)
- 5. Verify the installation by checking the new build version number
- 6. Test critical functionality in a non-production environment before deploying to production
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 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 $8,256.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-3321 — 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-2023-3321 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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