Using controllers like launchpad

Aren’t Launchpad MIDI messages from the keypads fixed and unprogrammable ?

And if so, doesn’t that mean to get it to work with Cubase you need some utility or app to intercept the MIDI messages from Launchpad and translate them into what Cubase needs ? Something like BOME midi app ? Specifically I want to use Launchpad for keyswitches in Cubase. Or can generic remote mapping do it ?