MediumCVE-2020-7581

    Siemens Opcenter Execution Discrete: Unquoted Search Path or Element (CVE-2020-7581)

    Published Sources: CVE.org

    What is affected, what to do

    A vulnerability has been identified in Opcenter Execution Discrete (All versions < V3.2), Opcenter Execution Foundation (All versions < V3.2), Opcenter Execution Process (All versions < V3.2), Opcenter Intelligence (All versions < V3.3), Opcenter Quality (All versions < V11.3), Opcenter RD&L (V8.0), SIMATIC Notifier Server for Windows (All versions), SIMATIC PCS neo (All versions < V3.0 SP1), SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V15 (All versions < V15.1 Update 5), SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V16 (All versions < V16 Update 2), SIMOCODE ES V15.1 (All versions < V15.1 Update 4), SIMOCODE ES V16 (All versions < V16 Update 1), Soft Starter ES V15.1 (All versions < V15.1 Update 3), Soft Starter ES V16 (All versions < V16 Update 1). A component within the affected application calls a helper binary with SYSTEM privileges during startup while the call path is not quoted.

    Update opcenter_execution_discrete to version 3.2, opcenter_execution_foundation to version 3.2, opcenter_execution_process to version 3.2.

    Affected
    • Siemens Opcenter Execution Discrete eq All versions < V3.2..All versions < V3.2
    • Siemens Opcenter Execution Foundation eq All versions < V3.2..All versions < V3.2
    • Siemens Opcenter Execution Process eq All versions < V3.2..All versions < V3.2
    • Siemens Opcenter Intelligence eq All versions < V3.3..All versions < V3.3
    • Siemens Opcenter Quality eq All versions < V11.3..All versions < V11.3
    • Siemens Opcenter RD&L eq V8.0..V8.0
    • Siemens SIMATIC Notifier Server for Windows eq All versions..All versions
    • Siemens SIMATIC PCS neo eq All versions < V3.0 SP1..All versions < V3.0 SP1
    • Siemens SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V15 eq All versions < V15.1 Update 5..All versions < V15.1 Update 5
    • Siemens SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V16 eq All versions < V16 Update 2..All versions < V16 Update 2
    • Siemens SIMOCODE ES V15.1 eq All versions < V15.1 Update 4..All versions < V15.1 Update 4
    • Siemens SIMOCODE ES V16 eq All versions < V16 Update 1..All versions < V16 Update 1
    • Siemens Soft Starter ES V15.1 eq All versions < V15.1 Update 3..All versions < V15.1 Update 3
    • Siemens Soft Starter ES V16 eq All versions < V16 Update 1..All versions < V16 Update 1

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    Metrics

    6.7

    Priority

    XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.

    Source: NVD, CVSS v3

    6.7

    CVSS v3

    Severity Medium on the scale from 0 to 10.

    Source: CVE.org

    0.4 %

    EPSS score

    Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.

    Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 31.9

    Show all metrics
    Severity
    Medium
    Priority (0–325)

    The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?

    Read in glossary
    41.61 Methodology
    Exploit maturity

    An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.

    Read in glossary
    no public PoC known
    XIEM Effective CVSS

    XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.

    Read in glossary
    6.7 Methodology
    CVSS v3

    CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.

    Read in glossary
    6.7
    EPSS score

    The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.

    Read in glossary
    0.4 %
    Low — model estimates < 1% exploitation likelihood.
    EPSS percentile

    The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.

    Read in glossary
    31.9
    Elevated — this CVE ranks above at least 10% of all CVEs scored today.
    KEV status

    The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.

    Read in glossary
    —
    Published
    CWE

    CWE is a catalogue of typical weakness types in software and hardware — such as flawed input validation, unsafe memory handling or poor authentication. Where a CVE names a concrete vulnerability in a concrete product, a CWE describes the underlying class of defect.

    Read in glossary
    CWE-428

    Detection rules

    No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.

    Classification under NIS2 and CRA

    Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.

    NIS2

    NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.

    Read in glossary
    Handle the vulnerability in regular vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2.
    CRA

    The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.

    Read in glossary
    From 11.12.2027, Annex I Part II CRA requires manufacturers of affected products with digital elements to handle vulnerabilities without delay and provide security updates.
    ISO/IEC 27001

    ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.

    Read in glossary
    Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.

    Description

    A vulnerability has been identified in Opcenter Execution Discrete (All versions < V3.2), Opcenter Execution Foundation (All versions < V3.2), Opcenter Execution Process (All versions < V3.2), Opcenter Intelligence (All versions < V3.3), Opcenter Quality (All versions < V11.3), Opcenter RD&L (V8.0), SIMATIC Notifier Server for Windows (All versions), SIMATIC PCS neo (All versions < V3.0 SP1), SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V15 (All versions < V15.1 Update 5), SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V16 (All versions < V16 Update 2), SIMOCODE ES V15.1 (All versions < V15.1 Update 4), SIMOCODE ES V16 (All versions < V16 Update 1), Soft Starter ES V15.1 (All versions < V15.1 Update 3), Soft Starter ES V16 (All versions < V16 Update 1). A component within the affected application calls a helper binary with SYSTEM privileges during startup while the call path is not quoted. This could allow a local attacker with administrative privileges to execute code with SYSTEM level privileges.

    Source: NVD (NIST), cvelistv5

    Affected products

    The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.

    Affected products
    Affected versionsFixed in
    SiemensOpcenter Execution Discrete
    • All versions < V3.2
    • —
    SiemensOpcenter Execution Foundation
    • All versions < V3.2
    • —
    SiemensOpcenter Execution Process
    • All versions < V3.2
    • —
    SiemensOpcenter Intelligence
    • All versions < V3.3
    • —
    SiemensOpcenter Quality
    • All versions < V11.3
    • —
    SiemensOpcenter RD&L
    • V8.0
    • —
    SiemensSIMATIC Notifier Server for Windows
    • All versions
    • —
    SiemensSIMATIC PCS neo
    • All versions < V3.0 SP1
    • —
    SiemensSIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V15
    • All versions < V15.1 Update 5
    • —
    SiemensSIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V16
    • All versions < V16 Update 2
    • —
    SiemensSIMOCODE ES V15.1
    • All versions < V15.1 Update 4
    • —
    SiemensSIMOCODE ES V16
    • All versions < V16 Update 1
    • —
    SiemensSoft Starter ES V15.1
    • All versions < V15.1 Update 3
    • —
    SiemensSoft Starter ES V16
    • All versions < V16 Update 1
    • —
    siemensopcenter_execution_discrete
    • < 3.2
    • 3.2
    siemensopcenter_execution_foundation
    • < 3.2
    • 3.2
    siemensopcenter_execution_process
    • < 3.2
    • 3.2
    siemensopcenter_intelligence
    • —
    • —
    siemensopcenter_quality
    • < 11.3
    • 11.3
    siemensopcenter_rd\&l
    • 8.0
    • —
    siemenssimatic_notifier_server
    • —
    • —
    siemenssimatic_pcs_neo
    • —
    • —
    siemenssimatic_step_7
    • < 16
    • 16
    • 16
    • —
    siemenssimocode_es
    • —
    • —
    siemenssoft_starter_es
    • —
    • —

    Vendors and products

    Weakness classes (CWE)

    • CWE-428Unquoted Search Path or Element

      Base

      The product uses a search path that contains an unquoted element, in which the element contains whitespace or other separators. This can cause the product to access resources in a parent path.

      Entry at MITRE CWE-428

    References & sources

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    <a href="https://intel.neosec.eu/en/cve/CVE-2020-7581"><img src="https://intel.neosec.eu/badge/cve/CVE-2020-7581.svg?lang=en" alt="CVE-2020-7581 – NEOSEC Intel" height="20"></a>