# CVE-2021-27473: Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench Improper Input Validation

> A local attacker can exploit improper input validation in archive extraction to execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges via a malicious file.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Mar 2022
- **Updated:** 16 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jcq6-j25v-gr6g

## What is CVE-2021-27473?

CVE-2021-27473 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench, published on 23 Mar 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench v12.00.00 and prior does not sanitize paths specified within the .ccwarc archive file during extraction. This type of vulnerability is also commonly referred to as a Zip Slip. A local, authenticated attacker can create a malicious .ccwarc archive file that, when opened by Connected Components Workbench, will allow the attacker to gain the privileges of the software. If the software is running at SYSTEM level, the attacker will gain admin level privileges. User interaction is required for this exploit to be successful.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-27473?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Rockwellautomation Connected Components Workbench.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-27473?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-27473 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-27473 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-27473 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench

- [CVE-2021-27475](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27475/): Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench Deserialization of Untrusted Data (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2021-27471](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27471/): Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench Path Traversal (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2014-5424](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-5424/): Code injection in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2017-5176](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-5176/): Other in Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench (high 7.0)
- [CVE-2022-1018](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-1018/): ICSA-22-088-01 Rockwell Automation ISaGRAF (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-27473 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-27473 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench, published on 23 Mar 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-27473 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench. 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-2021-27473/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27473/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-27473
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-27473
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-27473

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27473/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.