# CVE-2023-46142: PHOENIX CONTACT: Insufficient Read and Write Protection to Logic and Runtime Data in PLCnext Control

> Remote attackers with low privileges can gain full access to PHOENIX CONTACT PLCnext devices due to insufficient read and write protections on critical resources.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m643-p8j3-4h5x

## What is CVE-2023-46142?

CVE-2023-46142 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in PHOENIX CONTACT AXC F 1152, published on 14 Dec 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A incorrect permission assignment for critical resource vulnerability in PLCnext products allows an remote attacker with low privileges to gain full access on the affected devices.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-46142?

It affects 9 products.


Products: Phoenixcontact Axc F 1152 Firmware, Phoenixcontact Axc F 2152 Firmware, Phoenixcontact Axc F 3152 Firmware, Phoenixcontact Bpc 9102s Firmware, Phoenixcontact Epc 1502 Firmware, Phoenixcontact Epc 1522 Firmware, Phoenixcontact Plcnext Engineer, Phoenixcontact Rfc 4072r Firmware, Phoenixcontact Rfc 4072s Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-46142?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-46142 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-46142 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-46142 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in PHOENIX CONTACT AXC F 1152

- [CVE-2021-34570](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34570/): Phoenix Contact: DoS for PLCnext Control devices in versions prior to 2021.0.5 LTS (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2023-46144](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46144/): PHOENIX CONTACT: PLCnext Control prone to download of code without integrity check (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-46142 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-46142 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in PHOENIX CONTACT AXC F 1152, published on 14 Dec 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-46142 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: PHOENIX CONTACT AXC F 1152. 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-2023-46142/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46142/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46142
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46142
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-46142

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46142/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.