CVE-2023-38408
What it is
The PKCS#11 feature in ssh-agent in OpenSSH before 9.3p2 has an insufficiently trustworthy search path, leading to remote code execution if an agent is forwarded to an attacker-controlled system. (Code in /usr/lib is not necessarily safe for loading into ssh-agent.) NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-10009.
At a glance
- Exploitability
- Can be exploited over the network without logging in. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.
- Exploit odds
- 79.7% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS). Higher than most.
- Fix
- A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.
Timeline
- ReservedThe CVE id was reserved by its CNA
- PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
- Last updatedMost recent change to the record
Why it ranks here
- Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
- Exploit odds: 79.7% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
- Severity: 9.8 CRITICAL (CVSS).
- Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.
- It meets the bar for Drop everything: critical, and exploited or very likely to be.
Details
- Published
- Last modified
- Exploit probability
- 79.7% · EPSS, next 30 days
- Weakness
- CWE-428
- Record status
- Modified
Affected
- Openbsd OpenSSH < 9.3
- Openbsd OpenSSH 9.3
- Fedoraproject Fedora 37
- Fedoraproject Fedora 38
Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 9.8
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Is it in your code?
Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.
Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2023-38408.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2023-38408. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.
Fix and advisories
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351d
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7ca
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196
- https://www.openssh.com/security.html
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351d
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7ca
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196
- https://www.openssh.com/security.html
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173661/OpenSSH-Forwarded-SSH-Agent-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/11
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/9
- https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408-remote-code-execution-in-opensshs-forwarded-ssh-agent
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351d
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7ca
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00021.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CEBTJJINE2I3FHAUKKNQWMFGYMLSMWKQ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RAXVQS6ZYTULFAK3TEJHRLKZALJS3AOU/
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202307-01
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230803-0010/
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213940
- https://www.openssh.com/security.html
- https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-9.3p2
- https://www.qualys.com/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408/rce-openssh-forwarded-ssh-agent.txt
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/exploring-opensshs-agent-forwarding-rce-cve-2023-38408
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173661/OpenSSH-Forwarded-SSH-Agent-Remote-Code-Execution.html
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/11
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/9