How severe is CVE-2023-40146?

CVE-2023-40146 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-40146 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (70th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-40146?

CVE-2023-40146 affects Peplink Smart Reader Firmware. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-40146?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

Does CVE-2023-40146 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2023-40146 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-44753.

When was CVE-2023-40146 published?

CVE-2023-40146 was published on 2024-04-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-40146

CVE-2023-40146 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Peplink Smart Reader Firmware with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-798.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (70th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2023-44753
Weakness: CWE-798
Affected product: Peplink Smart Reader Firmware
Published: 2024-04-17
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the /bin/login functionality of Peplink Smart Reader v1.2.0 (in QEMU). A specially crafted command line argument can lead to a limited-shell escape and elevated capabilities. An attacker can authenticate with hard-coded credentials and execute unblocked default busybox functionality to trigger this vulnerability.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-40146?: A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the /bin/login functionality of Peplink Smart Reader v1.2.0 (in QEMU). A specially crafted command line argument can lead to a limited-shell escape and elevated capabilities. An attacker can authenticate with hard-coded credentials and execute unblocked default busybox functionality to trigger this vulnerability.
How severe is CVE-2023-40146?: CVE-2023-40146 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-40146 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (70th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-40146?: CVE-2023-40146 affects Peplink Smart Reader Firmware. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-40146?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2023-40146 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2023-40146 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-44753.
When was CVE-2023-40146 published?: CVE-2023-40146 was published on 2024-04-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:peplink:smart_reader_firmware:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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