Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- Exploitation requires an existing local or physical foothold with privileges.
- EPSS is 0.24% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2023
CVE-2023-1552High confidence
ToolboxST Deserialization of Untrusted Configuration Data
GE Gas Power · ToolboxST
2.9LowCVSS 3.1
Scheduled
Patch availableLow technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityLow→Operational priority:Low, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
- Restrict local access and enforce least privilege on affected hosts.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs GE Gas Power ToolboxST and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Low technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
Patch available01
What, why and how
ToolboxST prior to version 7.10 is affected by a deserialization vulnerability. An attacker with local access to an HMI or who has conducted a social engineering attack on an authorized operator could execute code in a Toolbox user's context through the deserialization of an untrusted configuration file. Two CVSS scores have been provided to capture the differences between the two aforementioned attack vectors. Customers are advised to update to ToolboxST 7.10 which can be found in ControlST 7.10. If unable to update at this time customers should ensure they are following the guidance laid out in GE Gas Power's Secure Deployment Guide (GEH-6839). Customers should ensure they are not running ToolboxST as an Administrative user.
What
ToolboxST prior to version 7.10 is affected by a deserialization vulnerability. An attacker with local access to an HMI or who has conducted a social engineering attack on an authorized operator could execute code in a Toolbox user's context through the deserialization of an untrusted configuration file. Two CVSS scores have been provided to capture the differences between the two aforementioned attack vectors. Customers are advised to update to ToolboxST 7.10 which can be found in ControlST 7.10. If unable to update at this time customers should ensure they are following the guidance laid out in GE Gas Power's Secure Deployment Guide (GEH-6839). Customers should ensure they are not running ToolboxST as an Administrative user.
Why
Attacker-influenced serialised data is reconstructed as trusted objects, which can invoke dangerous application behaviour.
How
An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with elevated privileges. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.
What
ToolboxST prior to version 7.10 is affected by a deserialization vulnerability. An attacker with local access to an HMI or who has conducted a social engineering attack on an authorized operator could execute code in a Toolbox user's context through the deserialization of an untrusted configuration file. Two CVSS scores have been provided to capture the differences between the two aforementioned attack vectors. Customers are advised to update to ToolboxST 7.10 which can be found in ControlST 7.10. If unable to update at this time customers should ensure they are following the guidance laid out in GE Gas Power's Secure Deployment Guide (GEH-6839). Customers should ensure they are not running ToolboxST as an Administrative user.
Why
Attacker-influenced serialised data is reconstructed as trusted objects, which can invoke dangerous application behaviour.
How
An attacker operating through local access may attempt exploitation with elevated privileges. If successful, the issue may execute code or commands in the affected security context.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- local access → Deserialization of Untrusted Data → execute code or commands in the affected security context
- Attack surface
- Local
- Privileges required
- High: elevated access is required
- User interaction
- Required interaction required
- Attack complexity
- High: exploitation depends on specific conditions
- Security boundary
- Unchanged: impact remains within the vulnerable component's security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-502 ↗
CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data. The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:NCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVLocalAttack vector: The attacker needs local access to the vulnerable system.ACHighAttack complexity: Successful exploitation depends on specific conditions outside the attacker's direct control.PRHighPrivileges required: The attacker needs elevated or administrative privileges.UIRequiredUser interaction: Another user must perform an action for exploitation to succeed.SUnchangedScope: The security impact remains within the vulnerable component's authority.CLowConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ILowIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- After compromise, an attacker may use built-in shells, scripting engines, scheduled tasks and native network utilities for discovery, persistence or movement. This is a plausible LoTL path, not evidence that it has occurred for every attack.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Patch available
- Affected
- ToolboxST: < 7.10
- Action
- Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. Limit untrusted access and use least privilege until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 11 Apr 2023 · Last source change 6 Feb 2025, 21:44 UTC · CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted Data
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-23786
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceNIST NVD
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
No material field changes have been recorded since change tracking began. Routine source refreshes and cosmetic edits are intentionally excluded.
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.