# CVE-2023-40621: Code Injection vulnerability in SAP PowerDesigner Client

> An attacker can execute arbitrary VBScript code by tricking a user into opening a malicious document, unless the script execution security option is manually enabled.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **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:** 12 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h8m5-rv6r-f3vq

## What is CVE-2023-40621?

CVE-2023-40621 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in SAP_SE SAP PowerDesigner Client, published on 12 Sep 2023. 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

SAP PowerDesigner Client - version 16.7, allows an unauthenticated attacker to inject VBScript code in a document and have it opened by an unsuspecting user, to have it executed by the application on behalf of the user. The application has a security option to disable or prompt users before untrusted scripts are executed, but this is not set as default.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-40621?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sap Powerdesigner.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-40621?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-40621 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-40621 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-40621 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SAP_SE SAP PowerDesigner Client

- [CVE-2023-37483](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-37483/): Improper Access Control Vulnerabilities in SAP PowerDesigner (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-36923](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-36923/): Code Injection vulnerability in SAP PowerDesigner (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2023-40310](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40310/): Missing XML Validation vulnerability in SAP PowerDesigner Client BPMN2 import (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2023-37484](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-37484/): Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities in SAP PowerDesigner (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-40621 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-40621 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in SAP_SE SAP PowerDesigner Client, published on 12 Sep 2023. 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-2023-40621 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SAP_SE SAP PowerDesigner Client. 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-2023-40621/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40621/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-40621
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40621
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-40621

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40621/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.