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NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

CVE-2020-15158: Heap buffer overflow in libIEC61850

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Plan (action score 40/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 2% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 81.3% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: mz-automation libiec61850 1.4.3.
  • Severity is disputed: the assigning authority (CNA) scores it 7.7, NVD 9.8.

Add it to your regular patch cycle. Upgrade to mz-automation libiec61850 1.4.3 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In libIEC61850 before version 1.4.3, when a message with COTP message length field with value < 4 is received an integer underflow will happen leading to heap buffer overflow. This can cause an application crash or on some platforms even the execution of remote code. If your application is used in open networks or there are untrusted nodes in the network it is highly recommend to apply the patch. This was patched with commit 033ab5b. Users of version 1.4.x should upgrade to version 1.4.3 when available. As a workaround changes of commit 033ab5b can be applied to older versions.

Published
Aug 26, 2020
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
2.0% · 81th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

40

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 2.0%

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
9.8
CNA · GitHub_M
7.7
2.1 point gap

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:H

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

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  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
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  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
mz-automationlibiec61850

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • mz-automation libiec61850

    • < 1.4.3affected

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • mz-automation libiec618501.4.0 and later · before 1.4.3

Same product

mz-automation: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2019-19958Dec 24, 2019 · In libIEC61850 1.4.0, StringUtils_createStringFromBuffer in common/string_utilities.c has an integer signedness issue that could lead to an…
    26Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-7054Jan 14, 2020 · MmsValue_decodeMmsData in mms/iso_mms/server/mms_access_result.c in libIEC61850 through 1.4.0 has a heap-based buffer overflow when parsing…
    35Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2021-45769Jan 14, 2022 · A NULL pointer dereference in AcseConnection_parseMessage at src/mms/iso_acse/acse.c of libiec61850 v1.5.0 can lead to a segmentation fault…
    30Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
mz-automation libiec618501.4.3 · descriptionVendor (CNA)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-119 · Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

References

Show all references (2 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records