CVE-2023-38408
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.
Does this matter?
EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 79.7%, higher than 100% of all known CVEs. Patch or mitigate before the next change window.
Description
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.
- 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
- 79.70% probability · 100th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-428
- Affected
- openbsd/openssh · fedoraproject/fedora
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 79.7% since 3 November 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.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173661/OpenSSH-Forwarded-SSH-Agent-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- 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-agentThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351dPatch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7caPatch
- 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=36790196Issue Tracking, Patch
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202307-01Third Party Advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230803-0010/
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213940
- https://www.openssh.com/security.htmlVendor Advisory
- https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-9.3p2Release Notes
- https://www.qualys.com/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408/rce-openssh-forwarded-ssh-agent.txtExploit, Third Party Advisory
- 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.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- 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-agentThird Party Advisory
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351dPatch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7caPatch
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00021.html
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.