CVE-2023-45205

SYSTEM privilege escalation via writable application folders

Published Oct 10, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Privilege escalation in Siemens SICAM PAS/PQS 8.00 through 8.19 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. The installer grants the Windows Users group full control over Siemens Energy application-data folders, allowing files in those locations to be altered for code injection. A low-privileged Windows account with local access is required, and successful exploitation grants complete control of the host.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Siemens SICAM PAS/PQS 8.00 through 8.19 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. The installer grants the Windows Users group full control over Siemens Energy application-data folders, allowing files in those locations to be altered for code injection. A low-privileged Windows account with local access is required, and successful exploitation grants complete control of the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-45205
Published
Oct 10, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
Siemens
Product
SICAM PAS/PQS
Classifications
CWE-732, T1574.010
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 10, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 2024Record 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=8.00 <8.20
  2. Affected versionversion=V8.00 <V8.20

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Siemens · SICAM PAS/PQSversion=8.00 <8.20; version=V8.00 <V8.20

Published CVSS scores

7.8Siemens ProductCERTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
T1574.010Services File Permissions Weakness

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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