CVE-2020-12497

mediumpriority · track · 36EPSS 0.147 · 97 %ileDEEURUUS

grimoire priorityP1 · Urgent

Exploitable?

—

no known exploitation

Likely / severe?

14.7% (97th) EPSS

CVSS 6.8 · medium

Is it mine?

13 products

Check your exposure

Who says so?

6 sources

cnnvd · enisa_euvd · fstec_bdu · cisa_csaf_ot

EPSS · scored 2026-10-27

PLCopen XML file parsing in Phoenix Contact PC Worx and PC Worx Express version 1.87 and earlier can lead to a stack-based overflow. Manipulated PC Worx projects could lead to a remote code execution due to insufficient input data validation.

remediations

Vendor fix, mitigation, or workaround guidance, as published by each source.

A vendor fix is available.

Fixedphoenix_contact_psirt
With the next version of Automation Worx Software Suite a sharpened input data validation with respect to buffer size and description of size and number of objects referenced in a file will be implemented.
Mitigationphoenix_contact_psirt
We strongly recommend customers to exchange project files only using secure file exchange services. Project files should not be exchanged via unencrypted email. In addition, we recommend exchanging or storing project files together with a checksum to ensure their integrity.
MitigationPC Worxcisa_csaf_ot
Phoenix Contact recommends users exchange project files only using secure file exchange services. Project files should not be exchanged via unencrypted email. In addition, we recommend exchanging or storing project files together with a checksum to ensure their integrity.
MitigationPC Worx Expresscisa_csaf_ot
Phoenix Contact recommends users exchange project files only using secure file exchange services. Project files should not be exchanged via unencrypted email. In addition, we recommend exchanging or storing project files together with a checksum to ensure their integrity.

cvss

Technical severity, 0–10. One row per scoring source.

7.8

010

base score 0–10 · higher = more severe · hover a vector to decode⚠ sources disagree · medium–high · 6.8–7.8

v2.06.8mediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:Pprimary · NVD / NIST USexploitability 8.6 · impact 6.4

v3.17.8highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hprimary · NVD / NIST USexploitability 1.8 · impact 5.9

v3.07.8highCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsecondary · CISA US

v3.17.3highAV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsecondary · FSTEC (BDU) RU

v3.17.8highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsecondary · ENISA EU

v3.17.8highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsecondary · info@cert.vde.comexploitability 1.8 · impact 5.9

v3.17.8highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsecondary · Phoenix Contact PSIRT DE

v3.17.1highCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:Usecondary · CVSS-BT (t0sche)

weaknesses

The CWE weakness classes this flaw belongs to.

CWE-787USprimaryCWE-121USCWE-121USCWE-121USCWE-121USCWE-787US

affected products (13)

Products and version ranges known to be affected.

PC Worx Express: version 1.87 and priorall versionscisa_csaf_otUS
PC Worx: version 1.87 and priorall versionscisa_csaf_otUS
PHOENIX CONTACT PC Worx≤ 1.87cisa_csaf_otUS
PHOENIX CONTACT PC Worx Express≤ 1.87cisa_csaf_otUS
PHOENIX CONTACT Automation Worx≤ unspecified ≤1.87enisa_euvdEU
PHOENIX CONTACT Automation Worx Express≤ unspecified ≤1.87enisa_euvdEU
Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG Automation Worx Software Suite≤ 1.87fstec_bduRU
phoenixcontact pc worx< 1.87nvdUScpe:2.3:a:phoenixcontact:pc_worx:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
phoenixcontact pc worx express≤ 1.87nvdUScpe:2.3:a:phoenixcontact:pc_worx_express:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
PHOENIX CONTACT PC Worx≤ 1.87phoenix_contact_psirtDE
PHOENIX CONTACT PC Worx Express≤ 1.87phoenix_contact_psirtDE
PHOENIX CONTACT Software PC Worx <=1.87≤ 1.87phoenix_contact_psirtDE
PHOENIX CONTACT Software PC Worx Express <=1.87≤ 1.87phoenix_contact_psirtDE

advisories (2)

Vendor and ecosystem advisories describing this.

VDE-2020-023PHOENIX CONTACT: Two Vulnerabilities in Automation Worx Suite2020-07-01csaf · phoenix_contact_psirtDE
Manipulated PC Worx projects could lead to a remote code execution due to insufficient input data validation. The attacker needs to get access to an original PC Worx project to be able to manipulate data inside the project folder. After manipulation the attacker needs to exchange the original files by the manipulated ones on the application programming workstation.
ICSA-20-191-01Phoenix Contact Automation Worx Software Suite2020-07-09icsa · cisa_csaf_otUS
Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code under the privileges of the application.

also known as (4)

Other names and identifiers for this entity.

sources

Which sources assert this record, and when.

cnnvd enisa_euvd fstec_bdu cisa_csaf_ot nvd phoenix_contact_psirt NVD CVE.org MITRE

published 2020-07-01modified 2026-06-17

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+16125 more

references (15)

External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.

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