# CVE-2023-33873: AVEVA Operations Control Logger Execution with Unnecessary Privileges

> Local authenticated users can escalate to System privileges on AVEVA Operations Control installations, leading to complete machine compromise.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 21 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6v89-cgp3-2347

## What is CVE-2023-33873?

CVE-2023-33873 is a high-severity vulnerability in AVEVA  Application Server, published on 15 Nov 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

This privilege escalation vulnerability, if exploited, cloud allow a local OS-authenticated user with standard privileges to escalate to System privilege on the machine where these products are installed, resulting in complete compromise of the target machine.

Weakness: CWE-250 (Execution with Unnecessary Privileges)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-33873?

It affects 13 products.


Products: Aveva Batch Management, Aveva Communication Drivers, Aveva Edge, Aveva Enterprise Licensing, Aveva Historian, Aveva Intouch, Aveva Manufacturing Execution System, Aveva Mobile Operator, Aveva Plant Scada, Aveva Recipe Management, Aveva System Platform, Aveva Telemetry Server, Aveva Work Tasks.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-33873?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-33873 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-33873 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-33873 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in AVEVA  Application Server

- [CVE-2021-38410](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38410/): AVEVA PCS Portal Uncontrolled Search Path Element (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2023-34982](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-34982/): AVEVA Operations Control Logger External Control of File Name or Path (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-33873 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-33873 is a high-severity vulnerability in AVEVA  Application Server, published on 15 Nov 2023. 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-2023-33873 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: AVEVA  Application Server. 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-2023-33873/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33873/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-33873
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-33873
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-33873

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-33873/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.