# CVE-2023-2638: Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk System Services Vulnerable to a Denial-of-Service Attack

> A local authenticated user can load malicious configuration archives due to missing password verification, potentially causing denial of service or data modification.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Jun 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7j8r-p4gv-87r9

## What is CVE-2023-2638?

CVE-2023-2638 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk System Services, published on 13 Jun 2023. 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's FactoryTalk System Services does not verify that a backup configuration archive is password protected.

 

Improper authorization in FTSSBackupRestore.exe may lead to the loading of malicious configuration archives.  This vulnerability may allow a local, authenticated non-admin user to craft a malicious backup archive, without password protection, that will be loaded by FactoryTalk System Services as a valid backup when a restore procedure takes places. User interaction is required for this vulnerability to be successfully exploited.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-2638?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Rockwellautomation Factorytalk Policy Manager, Rockwellautomation Factorytalk System Services.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-2638?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-2638 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-2638 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-2638 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk System Services

- [CVE-2023-2637](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2637/): Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk System Services Vulnerable To Use Of Hard-Coded Cryptographic Key (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2024-6325](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6325/): Rockwell Automation Unsecured Private Keys in FactoryTalk® System Services (medium 6.0)
- [CVE-2023-2639](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2639/): Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk System Services Vulnerable to Sensitive Information Disclosure (medium 4.1)
- [CVE-2024-6326](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6326/): Rockwell Automation Unsecured Private Keys in FactoryTalk® System Services (low 1.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-2638 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-2638 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk System Services, published on 13 Jun 2023. 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-2023-2638 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk System Services. 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-2023-2638/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2638/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-2638
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2638
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-2638

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2638/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.