dbcve.org
ComosApplication · Siemens

CVE-2023-43504

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.4.4 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
A vulnerability has been identified in COMOS (All versions < V10.4.4). Ptmcast executable used for testing cache validation service in affected application is vulnerable to Structured Exception Handler (SEH) based buffer overflow. This could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system or cause denial of service condition.

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

The ptmcast executable in COMOS versions before V10.4.4 contains a Structured Exception Handler (SEH) based buffer overflow vulnerability. This flaw in the testing cache validation service allows an attacker to overwrite SEH records on the stack, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or causing a denial of service condition.

MitigationUpdate COMOS to version V10.4.4 or later to patch the vulnerable ptmcast executable. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to systems running the affected service and disable the ptmcast testing functionality until the patch can be applied.

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
ComosApplication
Affected:< 10.4.4

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify COMOS installation location
    Locate the COMOS installation directory on the system, typically found in the Siemens program folders or a custom installation path. Look for the ptmcast.exe executable within the COMOS installation tree.
    Affected if The ptmcast executable is present on the system
  2. Determine COMOS version
    Check the installed COMOS version by reviewing version information in the COMOS installation directory, typically available in the program metadata, about dialog, or version file included with the installation.
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than V10.4.4 (e.g., V10.4.3, V10.4.2, V10.3.x, etc.)
  3. Locate ptmcast executable
    Search for the ptmcast.exe file within the COMOS installation folder, particularly in subdirectories related to services, testing, or cache functionality.
    Affected if The ptmcast.exe file exists in the COMOS installation directory
  4. Check if testing cache validation service is enabled
    Determine whether the ptmcast testing cache validation service is configured to run. This may be found in Windows Services, COMOS service configuration, or scheduled task settings depending on the deployment.
    Affected if The ptmcast service or testing cache validation functionality is enabled or running
  5. Verify SEH-based buffer overflow conditions
    Review any available logs, crash dumps, or monitoring data for signs of buffer overflow attempts or crashes related to the ptmcast executable, particularly those involving SEH record manipulation.
    Affected if Any crashes or anomalies involving ptmcast that suggest SEH overwrite attempts have occurred

A system is affected if COMOS with a version earlier than V10.4.4 is installed and the ptmcast executable (testing cache validation service) is present and enabled on the system.

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 10.4.4 or later
Fixed in 10.4.4
Interim mitigation

Update COMOS to version V10.4.4 or later to patch the vulnerable ptmcast executable. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to systems running the affected service and disable the ptmcast testing functionality until the patch can be applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

Comos V10.4.4

  1. 1. Backup the current Comos installation and all associated databases before proceeding with any upgrade.
  2. 2. Obtain Comos V10.4.4 or later from the official Siemens download portal (cert-portal.siemens.com or Siemens Support).
  3. 3. Review the Comos V10.4.4 release notes and upgrade documentation for any prerequisites.
  4. 4. Execute the Comos upgrade installer following the standard Siemens upgrade procedure.
  5. 5. Verify the ptmcast.exe component has been updated to the fixed version included in V10.4.4.
  6. 6. Validate that the cache validation service functions correctly with the updated executable.
  7. 7. Conduct testing of critical Comos workflows to ensure system stability after upgrade.

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

Fix this in Comos Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,680
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,288.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-43504 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-43504 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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