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Full vulnerability report · 2026
CVE-2023-5778High confidence

Missing Length Check

ABB · Freelance Controller DCP

9.2CriticalCVSS 4.0
Recommended action
Within 72 hours

Critical technical impact with a remotely reachable, unauthenticated path; no CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.

Patch available
R
Operational reassessment

Published severity in operational context

Open reassessment dashboard →
Published severityCriticalOperational priority:Critical, unchanged from published severity.unchanged

Evidence used

  • No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
  • The selected CVSS metric records a network-reachable, unauthenticated path with no user interaction.
  • EPSS is 0.29% for the current model date.

Compensating controls

  • Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
  • Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
  • Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.

Verification

  1. Confirm that the asset runs ABB Freelance Controller DCP and falls inside the recorded affected range.
  2. Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
  3. Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
  4. Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Mitigation target: Within 3 daysRemediation target: Within 90 days

This automated reassessment organises public evidence. It does not know asset exposure, business impact or control effectiveness and does not replace CVSS or a human risk decision.

Direct vendor intelligence

Authoritative vendor CSAF and VEX advisories

Structured product status and remediation from the issuing vendor. Product-state explanations are always visible; large lists can be searched or downloaded.

1 current
7PAA010706 · CSAF 2.0 · revision 1 · finalABB Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT)CVE-2023-5778
24 known affected

The vendor explicitly identifies these products as affected by this CVE.

  • ABB System Version <=Freelance 2013 installed with ABB Freelance Controller DCP
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2013 SP1 installed with ABB Freelance Controller DCP
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2016 installed with ABB Freelance Controller DCP
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2016 SP1 installed with ABB Freelance Controller DCP
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2019 installed with ABB Freelance Controller DCP
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2019 SP1 installed with ABB Freelance Controller DCP
  • ABB System Version <=Freelance 2013 installed with ABB Freelance Controller AC700
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2013 SP1 installed with ABB Freelance Controller AC700
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2016 installed with ABB Freelance Controller AC700
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2016 SP1 installed with ABB Freelance Controller AC700
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2019 installed with ABB Freelance Controller AC700
  • ABB System Version Freelance 2019 SP1 installed with ABB Freelance Controller AC700
Summary
An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted message to the controller, causing the controller to stop.
Remediation
The Freelance system shall be used as described in the manual 3BDD012560-111 “Getting Started” chapter 1.2.6. The issue is corrected in following product versions: • Freelance 2013 SP1 RU06 and higher RUs for that version • Freelance 2016 SP1 RU07 and higher RUs for that version • Freelance 2019 SP1 RU03 and higher RUs for that version This vulnerability is corrected in the product versions from Freelance 2019 SP1 FP1 on. This vulnerability does not exist with Freelance 2019 SP1 FP1 and later. ABB recommends that customers apply the update at earliest convenience. Users who are unable to install the updates should immediately look to implement the Mitigation listed as this will block an attacker’s ability to compromise their installations.
Optional official sources

National CERT insights
?CERT means Computer Emergency Response Team; CSIRT is the closely related term Computer Security Incident Response Team.

Choose official national sources for this report. Each advisory shows its original language. Your selection is remembered on this device and included in shared links.

Official European source

ENISA European Vulnerability Database

Official EUVD identifiers, advisory evidence and known-exploited context. Missing fields are not treated as evidence of low risk.

1 current
ENISA EUVD identifier

EUVD-2023-60692

No EUVD known-exploited evidence

Improper handling of length parameter inconsistency vulnerability in ABB Freelance Controller DCP, ABB Freelance Controller AC700, ABB Freelance Controller AC800, and ABB Freelance Controller AC900. This issue affects Freelance Controller DCP: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC700: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC800: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC900: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1.

EUVD state
Present in the current official mapping
Known exploitation
Not present in the current ENISA EUVD known-exploited dataset. This is not proof of no exploitation.
ENISA score
9.2 · CVSS 4.0
Advisory evidence
No linked advisory details stored yet
Recommended actionWithin 72 hours

Critical technical impact with a remotely reachable, unauthenticated path; no CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.

Patch available
01

What, why and how

Improper handling of length parameter inconsistency vulnerability in ABB Freelance Controller DCP, ABB Freelance Controller AC700, ABB Freelance Controller AC800, and ABB Freelance Controller AC900. This issue affects Freelance Controller DCP: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC700: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC800: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC900: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1.

What

Improper handling of length parameter inconsistency vulnerability in ABB Freelance Controller DCP, ABB Freelance Controller AC700, ABB Freelance Controller AC800, and ABB Freelance Controller AC900. This issue affects Freelance Controller DCP: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC700: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC800: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC900: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1.

Why

The product parses a formatted message or structure, but it does not handle or incorrectly handles a length field that is inconsistent with the actual length of the associated data.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

What

Improper handling of length parameter inconsistency vulnerability in ABB Freelance Controller DCP, ABB Freelance Controller AC700, ABB Freelance Controller AC800, and ABB Freelance Controller AC900. This issue affects Freelance Controller DCP: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC700: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC800: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC900: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1.

Why

The product parses a formatted message or structure, but it does not handle or incorrectly handles a length field that is inconsistent with the actual length of the associated data.

How

An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation without authentication or user interaction. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.

02

Exploit reality and attack path

CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.

Observed exploitation
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
No confirmed evidence

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
?Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.
None recorded

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
a network path → Improper Handling of Length Parameter Inconsistency → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
Attack surface
Network
Privileges required
None: unauthenticated exploitation is possible
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
Security boundary
Not a CVSS 4.0 base metric
Weakness
?CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness.
CWE-130 ↗

CWE-130: Improper Handling of Length Parameter Inconsistency. The product parses a formatted message or structure, but it does not handle or incorrectly handles a length field that is inconsistent with the actual length of the associated data.

CVSS vector
?CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H/AU:Y/R:U/V:C/RE:H

Common Vulnerability Scoring System 4.0: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.

AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.ATNoneAttack requirements: No additional deployment or execution condition is required.PRNonePrivileges required: The attacker does not need an account or existing privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.VCNoneVulnerable-system confidentiality: No direct loss is represented by this metric.VINoneVulnerable-system integrity: No direct loss is represented by this metric.VAHighVulnerable-system availability: A successful attack can cause a major loss.SCNoneSubsequent-system confidentiality: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SINoneSubsequent-system integrity: No direct loss is represented by this metric.SAHighSubsequent-system availability: A successful attack can cause a major loss.
Post-exploitation / living off the land
No specific living-off-the-land technique is confirmed in the structured sources. Monitor normal administration tools for activity inconsistent with the affected service's baseline.
NetworkUnauthenticatedCWE-130
A

Official authority intelligence

Only matched European and national findings are included. Language selectors and unavailable sources are omitted.

ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-60692Official EUVD mapping

Improper handling of length parameter inconsistency vulnerability in ABB Freelance Controller DCP, ABB Freelance Controller AC700, ABB Freelance Controller AC800, and ABB Freelance Controller AC900. This issue affects Freelance Controller DCP: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC700: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC800: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC900: through 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, and 2019 SP1.

Official EUVD record ↗
Canadian Centre for Cyber Security · English · AV26-942[Control systems] ABB security advisory (AV26-942)

As of September 18, 2026, ABB published a security advisory to address vulnerabilities in the following product:

Official advisory ↗
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
Fixed
Action
The Freelance system shall be used as described in the manual 3BDD012560-111 “Getting Started” chapter 1.2.6. The issue is corrected in following product versions: • Freelance 2013 SP1 RU06 and higher RUs for that version • Freelance 2016 SP1 RU07 and higher RUs for that version • Freelance 2019 SP1 RU03 and higher RUs for that version This vulnerability is corrected in the product versions from Freelance 2019 SP1 FP1 on. This vulnerability does not exist with Freelance 2019 SP1 FP1 and later. ABB recommends that customers apply the update at earliest convenience. Users who are unable to install the updates should immediately look to implement the Mitigation listed as this will block an attacker’s ability to compromise their installations.
Workaround
No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04

Evidence and provenance

Published 18 Sept 2026 · Last source change 18 Sept 2026, 14:31 UTC · CWE-130 · Improper Handling of Length Parameter Inconsistency

CVE recordCVE.org · 5.2
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source
?The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.
FIRST · tracked since 2026-09-19
European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-60692
Product sourceVendor CSAF · ABB Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT)
Remediation sourceVendor CSAF · ABB Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT)
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD not scheduled

Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.

Material change intelligence

What changed after publication

View recent updates ↗
  1. ENISA EUVD mappingEUVD-2023-60692 was added to the official ENISA EUVD mapping for this CVE.
    Before
    not recorded
    After
    {"euvdId":"EUVD-2023-60692"}
    ENISA EUVD ↗
  2. Catalogue recordCVE added to the BlackTree catalogue.
    CNA ↗
  3. Affected versionsThe structured affected or fixed version information changed.
    Before
    Freelance Controller DCP: ≤ 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC700: ≤ 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC800: ≤ 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC900: ≤ 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1 · Fixed: Freelance Controller DCP: 2019 SP1 FP1, 2024; Freelance Controller AC700: 2019 SP1 FP1, 2024; Freelance Controller AC800: 2019 SP1 FP1, 2024; Freelance Controller AC900: 2019 SP1 FP1, 2024
    After
    Freelance Controller DCP: ≤ 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC700: ≤ 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC800: ≤ 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1; Freelance Controller AC900: ≤ 2013, 2013 SP1, 2016, 2016 SP1, 2019, 2019 SP1 · Fixed: The Freelance system shall be used as described in the manual 3BDD012560-111 “Getting Started” chapter 1.2.6. The issue is corrected in following product versions: • Freelance 2013 SP1 RU06 and higher RUs for that version • Freelance 2016 SP1 RU07 and higher RUs for that version • Freelance 2019 SP1 RU03 and higher RUs for that version This vulnerability is corrected in the product versions from Freelance 2019 SP1 FP1 on. This vulnerability does not exist with Freelance 2019 SP1 FP1 and later. ABB recommends that customers apply the update at earliest convenience. Users who are unable to install the updates should immediately look to implement the Mitigation listed as this will block an attacker’s ability to compromise their installations.
    ABB Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) ↗
Material fields only · duplicate refreshes suppressed · history retained for the configured operational retention period
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
Fixed release recorded from official guidance
ENISA EUVD · EUVD-2023-60692↗CVE authority or vendor reference↗Official CVE record (CNA and ADP data)↗NVD record↗
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.
Free version - for non-commercial use only.CVE-2023-5778 · cve.blacktree.nl