# CVE-2019-18997: PB610 HMISimulator provides interface with access to arbitrary files

> An attacker can read or write arbitrary files outside the working directory via the HMISimulator component in ABB PB610 Panel Builder 600.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Dec 2019
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c4x8-rwfw-m4m2

## What is CVE-2019-18997?

CVE-2019-18997 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in ABB PB610 Panel Builder 600, published on 18 Dec 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The HMISimulator component of ABB PB610 Panel Builder 600 uses the readFile/writeFile interface to manipulate the work file. Path configuration in PB610 HMISimulator versions 2.8.0.424 and earlier potentially allows access to files outside of the working directory, thus potentially supporting unauthorized file access.

Weakness: CWE-424 (Improper Protection of Alternate Path)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-18997?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Abb Pb610 Panel Builder 600.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-18997?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-18997 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-18997 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-18997 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in ABB PB610 Panel Builder 600

- [CVE-2019-18996](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18996/): ABB PB610 HMIStudio accepts malicious DLL file in an application (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2019-18995](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18995/): ABB PB610 HMISimulator does not check content-length of the HTTP request (medium 4.3)
- [CVE-2019-18994](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18994/): ABB PB610 HMIStudio crashes after launching an empty *.JPR application file (low 3.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-18997 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-18997 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in ABB PB610 Panel Builder 600, published on 18 Dec 2019. 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-2019-18997 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: ABB PB610 Panel Builder 600. 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-2019-18997/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18997/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-18997
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-18997
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-18997

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-18997/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.