CVE-2022-23921

Local privilege escalation via malicious runtime-project file

Published Feb 25, 2022 · Updated Apr 16, 2025

Improper privilege management in GE Proficy CIMPLICITY 11.1 and earlier allows local users to escalate privileges and execute code. The privilege boundary permits a malicious file placed in the CIMPLICITY runtime project to execute with elevated rights. Exploitation requires machine login access, a server licensed for multiple projects, and no project already running.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper privilege management in GE Proficy CIMPLICITY 11.1 and earlier allows local users to escalate privileges and execute code. The privilege boundary permits a malicious file placed in the CIMPLICITY runtime project to execute with elevated rights. Exploitation requires machine login access, a server licensed for multiple projects, and no project already running.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-23921
Published
Feb 25, 2022
Updated
Apr 16, 2025
Vendor
General Electric
Product
Proficy CIMPLICITY
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 25, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 16, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=all <=11.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

General Electric · Proficy CIMPLICITYversion=all <=11.1

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5ICS-CERTCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.7NIST NVDAV:L/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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