CVE-2020-14515 Unknown Vendor CVE debrief

Who should care

Organizations using CodeMeter prior to 6.90 for CmActLicense update files, especially teams running Festo Automation Suite or CODESYS-based industrial software. OT administrators, software licensing administrators, and security teams responsible for license integrity and vendor-supplied update workflows should review exposure.

Technical summary

The advisory describes an issue in CodeMeter’s license-file signature checking mechanism. For affected CmActLicense update files with CmActLicense Firm Code, the validation weakness can allow arbitrary license files to be built, including forged files that impersonate a legitimate vendor-issued license. The supplied CVSS vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N, indicating a network-reachable integrity impact without confidentiality or availability impact.

Defensive priority

High for any environment using the affected CodeMeter licensing path. Prioritize inventory and remediation because the flaw undermines trust in license authenticity, but scope is bounded to the specific CmActLicense update-file path described in the advisory.

Recommended defensive actions

• Upgrade affected CodeMeter components to version 6.90 or later, as the issue is described as affecting versions prior to 6.90 when using CmActLicense update files with CmActLicense Firm Code.
• Identify whether any systems use CmActLicense update files with CmActLicense Firm Code, and focus remediation on those workflows first.
• If you use Festo Automation Suite, follow the vendor guidance in the advisory: starting with version 2.8.0.138, CODESYS is no longer bundled and must be downloaded and installed separately by the customer.
• Install the latest patched version of CODESYS directly from the official CODESYS website and follow the vendor’s installation and update instructions.
• Keep the Festo Automation Suite connector up to date by applying FAS updates as they are released by Festo.
• Monitor vendor and advisory channels for follow-on guidance and verify that all affected licensing components are updated together rather than piecemeal.

Evidence notes

The source corpus centers on a CISA CSAF advisory published on 2026-02-26 and republished on 2026-03-17. The advisory description states that CodeMeter versions prior to 6.90 are affected when using CmActLicense update files with CmActLicense Firm Code, and that the flaw permits arbitrary license-file creation and vendor-forged license files. The prompt’s vendor attribution is low-confidence and marked for review, so this debrief keeps the focus on the affected component and advisory context rather than asserting an unsupported single-vendor product mapping.

Official resources