Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-31169

Selinc Sel-5030 Acselerator Quickset ≤ 7.1.3.0

Published
31 August 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 4.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0036 29th percentile
Risk Priority 38 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-31169 is a medium-severity Improper Handling of Unicode Encoding (CWE-176) vulnerability in Selinc Sel-5030 Acselerator Quickset. Its CVSS base score is 4.8 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Invisible Unicode (T1027.018); ranked at the 29th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An Improper Handling of Unicode Encoding vulnerability in the Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories SEL-5030 acSELerator QuickSet Software could allow an attacker to embed instructions that could be executed by an authorized device operator. See Instruction Manual Appendix A and Appendix E…

more

dated 20230615 for more details. This issue affects SEL-5030 acSELerator QuickSet Software: through 7.1.3.0.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1027.018 Invisible Unicode Stealth
Adversaries may abuse invisible or non-printing Unicode characters to conceal malicious content within files, scripts, or text.
T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information Stealth
Adversaries may attempt to make an executable or file difficult to discover or analyze by encrypting, encoding, or otherwise obfuscating its contents on the system or in transit.
T1132 Data Encoding Command And Control
Adversaries may encode data to make the content of command and control traffic more difficult to detect.
T1132.002 Non-Standard Encoding Command And Control
Adversaries may encode data with a non-standard data encoding system to make the content of command and control traffic more difficult to detect.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-31171Same product: Selinc Sel-5030 Acselerator Quickset
CVE-2023-31172Same product: Selinc Sel-5030 Acselerator Quickset
CVE-2023-31170Same product: Selinc Sel-5030 Acselerator Quickset
CVE-2023-31168Same product: Selinc Sel-5030 Acselerator Quickset
CVE-2023-2264Same vendor: Selinc
CVE-2023-31149Same vendor: Selinc
CVE-2023-31148Same vendor: Selinc
CVE-2023-31162Same vendor: Selinc
CVE-2023-2267Same vendor: Selinc
CVE-2023-31161Same vendor: Selinc

Affected Assets

selinc
sel-5030 acselerator quickset
≤ 7.1.3.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 1 hardening rule · 1 OS baseline
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-755

Provides defined handling (alert and additional actions) for the exceptional condition of audit logging failure.

addresses: CWE-755

Supplies a concrete handling action (safe mode) for exceptional conditions, mitigating risks from improper or absent handling that could allow continued attacks.

addresses: CWE-755

By preparing users for contingency scenarios, the control promotes proper handling of exceptional conditions instead of default or unsafe behaviors.

addresses: CWE-755

An updated contingency plan defines current actions for exceptional conditions, reducing the window for attackers to exploit improper handling leading to system failure.

addresses: CWE-755

Procedures ensure proper handling of exceptional conditions to support effective incident response.

addresses: CWE-755

Incident response testing confirms proper handling of exceptional conditions to limit exploit impact.

addresses: CWE-755

Gives users guidance on incident handling, reducing improper handling of exceptional conditions that could stem from exploited weaknesses.

addresses: CWE-755

Enforces structured response to exceptional conditions so the system cannot remain in an unsafe state.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly require proper Unicode/input validation to prevent this weakness.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing can detect Unicode-handling flaws before deployment.

degrades

Documented operating procedures may specify exception handling but do not guarantee implementation.

A.8.15 Logging partial match
finds

Logging captures unhandled exceptions, aiding detection but not preventing the weakness.

finds

Monitoring can surface unhandled exceptions but does not enforce proper handling.

prevents

Secure development lifecycle mandates input validation and encoding handling that can prevent Unicode mishandling.

prevents

Application security requirements include proper handling of character encodings and input sanitization.

References