CVE-2023-27100
Improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts in the SSHGuard component of Netgate pfSense Plus software v22.05.1 and pfSense CE software v2.6.0 allows attackers to bypass brute force protection mechanisms via crafted web requests.
Does this matter?
A public exploit is published in Exploit-DB and the impact is critical, while EPSS rates exploitation at 9.8%. Anyone can run this; patch or mitigate before the next change window and check exposed instances for signs of use.
Description
Improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts in the SSHGuard component of Netgate pfSense Plus software v22.05.1 and pfSense CE software v2.6.0 allows attackers to bypass brute force protection mechanisms via crafted web requests.
- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 9.84% probability · 95th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · first 8 April 2023
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-307
- Affected
- netgate/pfsense plus · pfsense/pfsense
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 9.8% since 8 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171791/pfsenseCE-2.6.0-Protection-Bypass.html
- https://docs.netgate.com/downloads/pfSense-SA-23_05.sshguard.ascVendor Advisory
- https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/13574Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171791/pfsenseCE-2.6.0-Protection-Bypass.html
- https://docs.netgate.com/downloads/pfSense-SA-23_05.sshguard.ascVendor Advisory
- https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/13574Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
- https://packetstorm.news/files/id/171791
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.