CVE-2023-3467 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This CVE was reserved on June 29, 2023, by Citrix and was published on July 19, 2023. It pertains to a privilege escalation vulnerability in Citrix products.

Understanding CVE-2023-3467

This CVE involves a privilege escalation to the root administrator (nsroot) in certain versions of Citrix NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway, potentially leading to high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

What is CVE-2023-3467?

The CVE-2023-3467 vulnerability allows an attacker to escalate privileges to the root administrator (nsroot) level, compromising critical system functions.

The Impact of CVE-2023-3467

The impact of this vulnerability is considered high, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the Citrix NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway products.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-3467

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management and has a base score of 8.0 according to the CVSS v3.1 scoring system. The attack complexity is low, requiring low privileges, and has a high impact on availability, confidentiality, and integrity.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows an unauthorized user to elevate their privileges to that of the root administrator, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control over the affected systems.

Affected Systems and Versions

NetScaler ADC: Versions less than 49.13 for 13.1, less than 91.13 for 13.0, less than 37.159 for 13.1-FIPS, less than 55.297 for 12.1-FIPS, and less than 55.297 for 12.1-NDcPP.
NetScaler Gateway: Versions less than 49.13 for 13.1 and less than 91.13 for 13.0.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by a malicious actor with network access to escalate their privileges to the root administrator level, potentially leading to unauthorized control and access.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-3467, immediate action and long-term security practices are recommended.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the affected Citrix NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway versions to the patched versions specified in the vendor's security bulletin.
Monitor system logs for any suspicious activities that may indicate unauthorized privilege escalations.
Restrict network access to critical systems to minimize the attack surface.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch all software and firmware to address known vulnerabilities.
Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user access to only necessary functions.
Conduct regular security assessments and audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities proactively.

Patching and Updates

Citrix has released patches for the affected versions of NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway. It is crucial to apply these patches promptly to secure the systems and prevent privilege escalation attacks.