CVE-2020-26869 in PcVue
Summary
by MITRE • 10/12/2020
ARC Informatique PcVue prior to version 12.0.17 is vulnerable to information exposure, allowing unauthorized users to access session data of legitimate users. This issue also affects third-party systems based on the Web Services Toolkit.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-26869 affects ARC Informatique PcVue software versions prior to 12.0.17, presenting a significant information exposure risk that compromises user session integrity. This weakness allows unauthorized actors to gain access to legitimate user session data, potentially enabling session hijacking attacks and unauthorized system access. The vulnerability specifically impacts the Web Services Toolkit component that many third-party systems rely upon, creating a broader attack surface beyond the primary software ecosystem. The issue stems from inadequate session management controls that fail to properly validate or authenticate access requests to session data, leaving critical user authentication tokens and session identifiers exposed to malicious actors. This information exposure vulnerability directly violates security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement, as legitimate session information becomes accessible to unauthorized parties without proper authentication mechanisms.
The technical flaw manifests through insufficient session data protection mechanisms within the PcVue application framework, particularly in how session tokens and user context information are handled during web service operations. Attackers can exploit this weakness by intercepting or directly accessing session data through improperly secured web service endpoints, potentially gaining unauthorized access to user accounts and their associated privileges. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the primary application to any third-party systems utilizing the Web Services Toolkit, as these systems inherit the same session management weaknesses. This creates a cascading security risk where a single vulnerability in the core toolkit affects multiple dependent applications and platforms. The flaw represents a classic case of improper access control as classified under CWE-284, where insufficient restrictions allow unauthorized access to protected resources, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1563.002 for credential access through session hijacking mechanisms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial, as successful exploitation could lead to complete compromise of user sessions, unauthorized system access, and potential data breaches. Organizations using affected versions of PcVue may experience unauthorized access to critical industrial control systems, operational technology environments, and sensitive process data. The vulnerability particularly threatens environments where PcVue is used for SCADA systems, process control, or industrial automation, where session hijacking could result in operational disruption, safety hazards, or unauthorized control of critical infrastructure. Third-party systems leveraging the Web Services Toolkit face similar risks, potentially creating widespread impact across interconnected industrial control networks and enterprise systems. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple platforms and applications makes it particularly dangerous for organizations with complex IT infrastructures relying on interconnected systems. Security teams must consider the potential for lateral movement through compromised sessions, as attackers could use stolen session data to access additional systems within the network perimeter. This information exposure creates a foundation for more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation, data exfiltration, and persistent access to critical operational environments.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate remediation through updating to PcVue version 12.0.17 or later, which addresses the session data exposure issues through improved access controls and authentication mechanisms. Organizations should implement additional security controls including session token encryption, secure session management protocols, and regular session validation procedures. Network segmentation and access control policies should be strengthened to limit exposure of web service endpoints, while monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect unusual session access patterns or unauthorized access attempts. Security assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in third-party systems utilizing the affected Web Services Toolkit, ensuring comprehensive protection across the entire ecosystem. Regular security audits of industrial control systems and web service implementations should be performed to identify potential session management weaknesses. Implementation of secure coding practices and regular vulnerability assessments can help prevent similar issues in future development cycles, while establishing robust incident response procedures ensures rapid detection and remediation of any exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication mechanisms and session timeout policies to reduce the window of opportunity for session hijacking attacks.