How severe is CVE-2023-40303?

CVE-2023-40303 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-40303 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-40303?

CVE-2023-40303 affects Gnu Inetutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-40303?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2023-40303 published?

CVE-2023-40303 was published on 2023-08-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-40303

CVE-2023-40303 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Inetutils with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-252.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (31st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-252
Affected product: Gnu Inetutils
Published: 2023-08-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-40303?: GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.
How severe is CVE-2023-40303?: CVE-2023-40303 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-40303 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (31st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-40303?: CVE-2023-40303 affects Gnu Inetutils. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-40303?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2023-40303 published?: CVE-2023-40303 was published on 2023-08-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:inetutils:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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