dbcve.org
Automationworx Software SuiteApplication · Phoenixcontact

CVE-2023-46143

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Download of Code Without Integrity Check vulnerability in PHOENIX CONTACT classic line PLCs allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to modify some or all applications on a PLC.

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

PHOENIX CONTACT classic line PLCs contain a vulnerability allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to download and install modified application code without integrity verification, potentially enabling full control over the PLC's functionality.

MitigationRestrict network access to PLCs using network segmentation and firewalls; implement authentication for code download operations; apply vendor patches if available; consider compensating controls such as monitoring for unauthorized code changes.

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
Automationworx Software SuiteApplication
Affected:all versions
Axc 1050 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Axc 1050 Xc FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Axc 3050 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Config\+Application
Affected:all versions
Fc 350 Pci Eth FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Ilc1x0 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Ilc1x1 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

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
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

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

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 Phoenix Contact PLCs in the environment
    Inventory network devices and PLCs to determine if any Phoenix Contact models from the affected list are present: Axc 1050, Axc 1050 Xc, Axc 3050, ILC1x0, ILC1x1, FC 350 PCI Eth. Also check for Automationworx Software Suite or Config+ installations on engineering workstations.
    Affected if Any Phoenix Contact PLCs or software from the affected product list are present in the environment.
  2. Check if PLCs are network accessible
    Verify network connectivity to the PLCs by attempting to ping or connect to their IP addresses. Review firewall rules and network segmentation to determine if the PLCs are exposed to untrusted networks.
    Affected if PLC network interfaces are reachable from untrusted networks or the internet without firewall protection.
  3. Verify authentication is required for code download
    Review PLC configuration settings and engineering software access controls. Check whether authentication is enforced when attempting to download or upload code to the PLC using Automationworx Software Suite or Config+.
    Affected if Code download operations to the PLC can be performed without requiring authentication credentials.
  4. Check if integrity verification is enabled for code
    Examine PLC configuration or engineering software settings for any integrity verification, code signing, or checksum validation options for application code downloads.
    Affected if No integrity verification or code signing is configured for application code being loaded onto the PLC.
  5. Review engineering station software installations
    Identify engineering workstations with Automationworx Software Suite or Config+ installed. Note that these tools may allow code download operations to connected PLCs.
    Affected if Automationworx Software Suite or Config+ is installed and can communicate with affected PLCs.

If Phoenix Contact PLCs from the affected list are present and accessible without enforced authentication for code downloads and without integrity verification enabled, the environment is vulnerable to unauthenticated code injection.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Restrict network access to PLCs using network segmentation and firewalls; implement authentication for code download operations; apply vendor patches if available; consider compensating controls such as monitoring for unauthorized code changes.

Fix this in Automationworx Software Suite Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,720
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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-2023-46143 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