CVE-2023-46601
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 has been identified in COMOS (All versions). The affected application lacks proper access controls in making the SQLServer connection. This could allow an attacker to query the database directly to access information that the user should not have access to.
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 confidenceCOMOS applications lack proper access controls when establishing SQL Server database connections, allowing authenticated or unauthenticated attackers to bypass application-level authorization and directly query the database to access sensitive information they should not have permission to view.
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 dataall versionsCVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify COMOS installationSearch for COMOS-related directories, executables, or services on the system. Look for Siemens COMOS folders in Program Files or running processes with 'comos' in the name.Affected if COMOS software is found installed or running on the system.
-
Locate database connection configurationSearch for configuration files that contain SQL Server connection strings or database connection settings within the COMOS installation directory. Common file extensions include .xml, .config, .ini, or .json files.Affected if Database connection configuration files exist and show SQL Server connection details without proper access control settings.
-
Review database user privilegesExamine the database connection parameters to identify what database user/account COMOS uses to connect. Check if that account has excessive privileges beyond what the application requires.Affected if The COMOS database account has broader permissions than necessary, allowing direct query access to tables outside authorized workflows.
-
Check for direct database access pathsIdentify if there are any database tools, query interfaces, or direct connection endpoints configured that would allow bypassing the COMOS application layer to query the SQL Server directly.Affected if Direct database access methods or interfaces are configured that bypass application-level authorization.
-
Verify application authorization configurationReview COMOS application settings or configuration files for any authorization enforcement mechanisms. Look for settings related to user permissions, role-based access, or data visibility controls.Affected if No explicit application-level authorization controls are configured or enforced for database operations.
If Siemens COMOS is installed and direct database connections can be made without proper authorization enforcement at the application layer, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.
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.
From vendor dataImplement proper database access controls, authentication mechanisms, and authorization enforcement at both the application and database layers to ensure users can only access data through authorized application workflows.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation24.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $15,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-46601 — 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-2023-46601 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
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.
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.
- 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