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ArenaApplication · Rockwellautomation

CVE-2024-12175

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 16.20.07 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
Another “use after free” code execution vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena® that could allow a threat actor to craft a DOE file and force the software to use a resource that was already used. If exploited, a threat actor could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code. To exploit this vulnerability, a legitimate user must execute the malicious code crafted by the threat actor.

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 use-after-free vulnerability in Rockwell Automation Arena® allows arbitrary code execution when a user opens a specially crafted malicious DOE (Design of Experiments) file. The vulnerability stems from the software using a memory resource that has already been freed, which a threat actor can exploit to execute arbitrary code on the victim's machine.

MitigationUsers should avoid opening DOE files from untrusted or unknown sources. Apply available vendor patches from Rockwell Automation when released. Restrict file handling permissions and educate users about the risks of opening untrusted file attachments.

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
ArenaApplication
Affected:< 16.20.07

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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. Check if Rockwell Automation Arena is installed
    Use system inventory tools or check common installation directories such as C:\Program Files\Rockwell Automation or C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockwell Automation. Look for folders named Arena or check Add/Remove Programs for Arena entries.
    Affected if Arena software is present on the system
  2. Identify the installed Arena version
    Locate the Arena executable (typically arena.exe) and view its properties to find the File Version, or check the Windows Registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Rockwell Automation\Arena for version information.
    Affected if The version displayed is lower than 16.20.07 (for example, 16.20.00, 16.10.00, etc.)
  3. Verify DOE file functionality is present
    Look for DOE file associations or DOE-related modules within the Arena application. Check if the software includes Design of Experiments features by examining the application's help documentation, menu options, or file type associations for .doe files.
    Affected if DOE file handling capability exists in the installation
  4. Inspect for untrusted or unexpected DOE files
    Search the file system for .doe files, particularly in user-accessible directories such as Downloads, Desktop, or shared network folders. Review file origins and timestamps to identify files from untrusted sources.
    Affected if Untrusted or suspicious DOE files are present and could be opened by the software

The environment is affected if Rockwell Automation Arena is installed with a version lower than 16.20.07 and DOE file functionality is available for use.

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 16.20.07 or later
Fixed in 16.20.07
Interim mitigation

Users should avoid opening DOE files from untrusted or unknown sources. Apply available vendor patches from Rockwell Automation when released. Restrict file handling permissions and educate users about the risks of opening untrusted file attachments.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Arena version 16.20.07 or later

  1. 1. Identify the current installed version of Rockwell Automation Arena on the affected system
  2. 2. Navigate to the official Rockwell Automation support website or product download page
  3. 3. Locate and download Arena version 16.20.07 or later
  4. 4. Before installing, back up any existing Arena files, projects, and DOE files
  5. 5. Uninstall the current version of Arena or ensure the installer will upgrade the existing installation
  6. 6. Run the installer for version 16.20.07 or later, following the on-screen prompts
  7. 7. After installation, verify the installed version matches 16.20.07 or higher
  8. 8. Test that legitimate DOE files open and function correctly in the updated software
Caveat Review release notes for any changes to DOE file compatibility or workflow differences in version 16.20.07

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

Fix this in Arena Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
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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-2024-12175 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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