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System ConfigurationApplication · Ni

CVE-2023-4601

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2023 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 stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in NI System Configuration that could result in information disclosure and/or arbitrary code execution. Successful exploitation requires that an attacker can provide a specially crafted response. This affects NI System Configuration 2023 Q3 and all previous versions.

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

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in NI System Configuration allows an attacker who can provide a specially crafted response to potentially achieve information disclosure and/or arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking when processing incoming responses, leading to memory corruption on the stack.

MitigationUpgrade to a patched version of NI System Configuration (2023 Q4 or later) when available. Until then, restrict network access to systems running NI System Configuration and validate all incoming responses from untrusted sources.

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
System ConfigurationApplication
Affected:< 2023= 2023

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 installed NI System Configuration version
    Open Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, locate NI System Configuration in the list, and note the version number; alternatively, check the program's About or Help section for version info
    Affected if Version is 2023 or any version earlier than 2023 (the affected range)
  2. Confirm NI System Configuration service is running
    Open Windows Services (services.msc), locate the NI System Configuration service, and verify its status; if not present, the product may be installed but not actively running
    Affected if The service is installed and running on the system
  3. Verify network exposure of the service
    Open Command Prompt and run 'netstat -an | findstr LISTENING' to see listening ports, or use 'netsh firewall show all' to review firewall rules; determine if the NI service ports are bound to external network interfaces
    Affected if NI System Configuration is listening on ports accessible from network addresses other than localhost/127.0.0.1
  4. Assess trust boundary for incoming responses
    Review network architecture and firewall rules to determine if the system can receive response packets from untrusted or external network sources
    Affected if The system can receive network responses from untrusted or attacker-controlled sources on the network

A system is affected if NI System Configuration version 2023 or earlier is installed, the service is running, and the network configuration allows it to receive incoming responses from untrusted sources.

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 2023 or later
Fixed in 2023
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to a patched version of NI System Configuration (2023 Q4 or later) when available. Until then, restrict network access to systems running NI System Configuration and validate all incoming responses from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

NI System Configuration 2024 or later (any version after 2023 Q3)

  1. 1. Identify the current installed version of NI System Configuration by checking Add/Remove Programs or the NI MAX utility.
  2. 2. Navigate to the National Instruments download page or contact NI support to obtain the latest version of NI System Configuration.
  3. 3. Download the installer for the most recent release (versions after 2023 Q3).
  4. 4. Back up any critical system configurations or data related to NI software.
  5. 5. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the upgrade.
  6. 6. Restart the system as required by the installation.
  7. 7. Verify the upgraded version matches the expected fixed release by checking the NI MAX utility or Add/Remove Programs.
Caveat Review NI release notes for configuration changes or compatibility impacts with other NI software in your environment before upgrading.

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

Fix this in System Configuration 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
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

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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-2023-4601 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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