CVE-2023-29444 | Uncontrolled Search Path Element in PTC's Kepware KEPServerEX

An uncontrolled search path element vulnerability (DLL hijacking) has been discovered that could allow a locally authenticated adversary to escalate privileges to SYSTEM. Alternatively, they could host a trojanized version of the software and trick victims into downloading and installing their malicious version to gain initial access and code execution.

Published: 2024-01-10 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2023-29444 is rated Low Risk (28/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.03%). Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-29444

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2025-11-21 0.05% 0.03% -0.02%
2 2025-11-18 0.02% 0.05% +0.03%
3 2025-04-15 — 0.02% —

Full EPSS history (9 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-29444

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.3 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:R)
A real person has to do something—click, install, enable—otherwise it doesn’t land.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 0.3 5.9 [email protected]
7.3 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:R)
A real person has to do something—click, install, enable—otherwise it doesn’t land.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 1.3 5.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-29444

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-29444

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
ptc kepware_kepserverex >= 6.0.2107.0, <= 6.14.263.0 cpe:2.3:a:ptc:kepware_kepserverex:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ptc thingworx_kepware_server >= 6.8, <= 6.14.263.0 cpe:2.3:a:ptc:thingworx_kepware_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
ptc thingworx_industrial_connectivity >= 8.0, <= 8.5 cpe:2.3:a:ptc:thingworx_industrial_connectivity:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-29444

cvelogic Threat Intelligence