CVE-2023-6631

Local privilege escalation via unquoted service paths

Published Jan 8, 2024 · Updated Jun 3, 2025

Unquoted service paths in SUBNET Solutions PowerSYSTEM Center 2020 Update 16 and earlier allow local users to gain elevated privileges. The Device Communication Server's pscagent.* service ImagePath entries omit enclosing quotes, causing Windows service startup to search executable path prefixes where attacker-controlled code can be placed. A low-privileged local account and write access to a searched path are required; successful exploitation runs code with the affected service's privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Unquoted service paths in SUBNET Solutions PowerSYSTEM Center 2020 Update 16 and earlier allow local users to gain elevated privileges. The Device Communication Server's pscagent.* service ImagePath entries omit enclosing quotes, causing Windows service startup to search executable path prefixes where attacker-controlled code can be placed. A low-privileged local account and write access to a searched path are required; successful exploitation runs code with the affected service's privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-6631
Published
Jan 8, 2024
Updated
Jun 3, 2025
Vendor
SUBNET Solutions Inc.
Product
PowerSYSTEM Center
Classifications
CWE-428, T1574.009
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 8, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 3, 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=2020 v5.0.x <=5.16.x

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

SUBNET Solutions Inc. · PowerSYSTEM Centerversion=2020 v5.0.x <=5.16.x

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA ICS-CERTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS: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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-428Unquoted Search Path or Element
T1574.009Path Interception by Unquoted Path

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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