# CVE-2019-18243: Privilege escalation in HMI/SCADA iFIX

> A local authenticated user can escalate privileges by modifying system-wide iFIX configurations via the registry.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Feb 2021
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-ggg4-fm7c-r5mq

## What is CVE-2019-18243?

CVE-2019-18243 is a medium-severity vulnerability in HMI/SCADA iFIX, published on 18 Feb 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

HMI/SCADA iFIX (Versions 6.1 and prior) allows a local authenticated user to modify system-wide iFIX configurations through the registry. This may allow privilege escalation.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-18243?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ge Ifix.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-18243?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-18243 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-18243 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-18243 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in HMI/SCADA iFIX

- [CVE-2023-0598](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0598/): GE Digital Proficy Code Injection (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2019-18255](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18255/): Privilege escalation in HMI/SCADA iFIX (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2018-17925](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-17925/): Other in iFix (medium 4.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-18243 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-18243 is a medium-severity vulnerability in HMI/SCADA iFIX, published on 18 Feb 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-18243 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: HMI/SCADA iFIX. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18243/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18243/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-18243
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-18243
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-18243

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18243/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.