Empowerid: Improper Authentication
CVE-2023-40260 is a critical-severity improper authentication vulnerability in Empowerid, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 7.205.0.1 as the first without the flaw, so updating Empowerid to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.63% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 51% of scored CVEs.
Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.
What to do
- Update Empowerid to 7.205.0.1 or a later version.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from NVD's product matching. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- NoneAvailability is not affected.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N. Scored by NVD.
Official description
EmpowerID before 7.205.0.1 allows an attacker to bypass an MFA (multi factor authentication) requirement if the first factor (username and password) is known, because the first factor is sufficient to change an account's email address, and the product would then send MFA codes to the new email address (which may be attacker-controlled). NOTE: this is different from CVE-2023-4177, which claims to be about "some unknown processing of the component Multi-Factor Authentication Code Handler" and thus cannot be correlated with other vulnerability information.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Authentication
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Use an authentication framework or library such as the OWASP ESAPI Authentication feature.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Third-party and government advisories
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2023/Aug/3Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
Other references
Recent Improper Authentication vulnerabilities
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 9.4 Critical severity
- 8.8 High severity
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