IgnitionApplication · Inductiveautomation

CVE-2023-38121

CRITICAL · 9.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-03

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.1.26 or later.

See remediation →

94/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

Remotely reachable

Official description

NVD · unedited

Inductive Automation Ignition OPC UA Quick Client Cross-Site Scripting Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Inductive Automation Ignition. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the handling of the id parameter provided to the Inductive Automation Ignition web interface. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can lead to the injection of an arbitrary script. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-20355.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Inductive Automation Ignition OPC UA Quick Client web interface. The flaw exists in the handling of the 'id' parameter, which lacks proper input validation, allowing injection of arbitrary script. While classified as an XSS vulnerability, the description indicates it can lead to Remote Code Execution in the SYSTEM context, likely through session hijacking or chaining with other vulnerabilities.

MitigationImplement strict input validation and output encoding for the 'id' parameter, and apply vendor-supplied patches. Given the critical CVSS score and industrial control system environment, consider network segmentation and minimizing web interface exposure while deploying the fix.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

IgnitionApplication

Affected:< 8.1.26

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges: Low
User interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

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

Identify the installed Ignition version

Check the Ignition installation directory for version information, or access the Gateway Status page which displays the version number. On the main gateway page, locate the version/build number displayed in the system information section.

Affected if The installed version is lower than 8.1.26 (for example, 8.1.25, 8.1.24, etc.)
Verify the OPC UA Quick Client module is installed and enabled

Access the Ignition Gateway Control Menu (left sidebar in the gateway web interface), navigate to Configure > Modules, and review the list of installed modules to confirm 'OPC UA Quick Client' is present and loaded.

Affected if The OPC UA Quick Client module is installed and enabled on the gateway
Confirm web interface accessibility for the Quick Client

Attempt to access the Quick Client web interface endpoint, typically found at /main/system/opcua/quickclient or similar path under the Ignition Gateway web root. Verify the page loads and accepts input.

Affected if The OPC UA Quick Client web interface is accessible without authentication restrictions or the page loads successfully
Inspect gateway logs for suspicious 'id' parameter activity

Access the Ignition Gateway logs through the web interface (Configure > Logs) or locate the wrapper.log file in the installation directory. Search for entries containing the 'id' parameter or patterns indicating script injection attempts.

Affected if Logs contain unusual 'id' parameter values with script tags, encoded characters, or unexpected JavaScript execution patterns

You are affected if your Ignition installation is version 8.1.25 or earlier, the OPC UA Quick Client module is enabled, and the web interface is accessible, as this combination allows the vulnerable 'id' parameter to be exploited for stored XSS.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.1.26 or later

Fixed in 8.1.26

Interim mitigation

Implement strict input validation and output encoding for the 'id' parameter, and apply vendor-supplied patches. Given the critical CVSS score and industrial control system environment, consider network segmentation and minimizing web interface exposure while deploying the fix.

Recommended fix High confidence

Ignition 8.1.26 or later

1. Back up the current Ignition installation, Gateway backup, and all project files
2. Stop the Ignition Gateway service
3. Download Ignition version 8.1.26 or later from the official Inductive Automation download page (inductiveautomation.com)
4. Run the installer and follow the upgrade prompts, or apply the update via the Gateway's built-in updater if available
5. Restart the Ignition Gateway service
6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the Gateway's version number in the status page

Caveat Review the Inductive Automation release notes for version 8.1.26 to check for any breaking changes or migration requirements specific to your deployment

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

Fix this in Ignition Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation4.0 h
Implementation8.0 h
Testing6.0 h
Review / QA4.0 h

22.0 hours of engineering $3,860

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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

dbcve dependency scanner

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References

Primary sources

inductiveautomation.comVendor Advisory
www.zerodayinitiative.comThird Party Advisory
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-38121 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2023-38121?

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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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

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 8.1.26 or later

Severity 9.0 Critical

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 1.2%

Affects: Ignition

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Ignition 22 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $3,860

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2023-38121 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References