# CVE-2020-14521: Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation Engineering Products Unquoted Search Path or Element

> Attackers can execute malicious code via unquoted search paths in Mitsubishi factory automation tools, leading to privilege escalation and system compromise.

- **Severity:** High 8.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 Feb 2022
- **Updated:** 16 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7hfr-xh2r-6vj8

## What is CVE-2020-14521?

CVE-2020-14521 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mitsubishi Electric C Controller Interface Module Utility, published on 11 Feb 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Multiple Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation engineering software products have a malicious code execution vulnerability. A malicious attacker could use this vulnerability to obtain information, modify information, and cause a denial-of-service condition.

Weakness: CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions), CWE-428 (Unquoted Search Path or Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-14521?

It affects 46 products.


Products: Mitsubishielectric C Controller Interface Module Utility, Mitsubishielectric C Controller Module Setting and Monitoring Tool, Mitsubishielectric Cc-Link Ie Control Network Data Collector, Mitsubishielectric Cc-Link Ie Field Network Data Collector, Mitsubishielectric Cc-Link Ie Tsn Data Collector, Mitsubishielectric Cpu Module Logging Configuration Tool, Mitsubishielectric Cw Configurator, Mitsubishielectric Data Transfer, Mitsubishielectric Ezsocket, Mitsubishielectric Fr Configurator2, Mitsubishielectric Fr Configurator Sw3, Mitsubishielectric Gt Designer2 Classic, Mitsubishielectric Gt Designer3, Mitsubishielectric Gt Softgot1000, Mitsubishielectric Gt Softgot2000, Mitsubishielectric Gx Developer, Mitsubishielectric Gx Logviewer, Mitsubishielectric Gx Works2, Mitsubishielectric Gx Works3, Mitsubishielectric M Commdtm-Io-Link and 26 more.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-14521?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-14521 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-14521 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14521 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-14521 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-14521 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mitsubishi Electric C Controller Interface Module Utility, published on 11 Feb 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-14521 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Mitsubishi Electric C Controller Interface Module Utility. 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-2020-14521/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14521/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-14521
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-14521
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-14521

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-14521/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.