# CVE-2023-1617: Improper Authentication Mechanism in B&R VC4 Visualization

> Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authentication in B&R VC4 visualization modules, potentially accessing sensitive industrial control interfaces.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Apr 2023
- **Updated:** 6 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-493h-rq8m-6xjp

## What is CVE-2023-1617?

CVE-2023-1617 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in B&R VC4, published on 14 Apr 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Improper Authentication vulnerability in B&R Industrial Automation B&R VC4 (VNC-Server modules).  This vulnerability may allow an unauthenticated network-based attacker to bypass the authentication mechanism of the VC4 visualization on affected devices. The impact of this vulnerability depends on the functionality provided in the visualization.
This issue affects B&R VC4: from 3.* through 3.96.7, from 4.0* through 4.06.7, from 4.1* through 4.16.3, from 4.2* through 4.26.8, from 4.3* through 4.34.6, from 4.4* through 4.45.1, from 4.5* through 4.45.3, from 4.7* through 4.72.9.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-1617?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Br-Automation Vc4.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-1617?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-1617 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-1617 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-1617 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-1617 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-1617 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in B&R VC4, published on 14 Apr 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-1617 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: B&R VC4. 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-2023-1617/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1617/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-1617
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-1617
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-1617

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1617/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.