How severe is CVE-2023-40354?

CVE-2023-40354 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2023-40354 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (18th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-40354?

CVE-2023-40354 affects Mariadb Maxscale. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-40354?

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

When was CVE-2023-40354 published?

CVE-2023-40354 was published on 2023-08-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-40354

CVE-2023-40354 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Mariadb Maxscale with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-312.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (18th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-312
Affected product: Mariadb Maxscale
Published: 2023-08-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in MariaDB MaxScale before 23.02.3. A user enters an encrypted password on a "maxctrl create service" command line, but this password is then stored in cleartext in the resulting .cnf file under /var/lib/maxscale/maxscale.cnf.d. The fixed versions are 2.5.28, 6.4.9, 22.08.8, and 23.02.3.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-40354?: An issue was discovered in MariaDB MaxScale before 23.02.3. A user enters an encrypted password on a "maxctrl create service" command line, but this password is then stored in cleartext in the resulting .cnf file under /var/lib/maxscale/maxscale.cnf.d. The fixed versions are 2.5.28, 6.4.9, 22.08.8, and 23.02.3.
How severe is CVE-2023-40354?: CVE-2023-40354 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-40354 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (18th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-40354?: CVE-2023-40354 affects Mariadb Maxscale. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-40354?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-40354 published?: CVE-2023-40354 was published on 2023-08-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://jira.mariadb.org/browse/MXS-4681

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:mariadb:maxscale:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Other CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) vulnerabilities

CVE-2022-43757 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): A Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information vulnerability in SUSE Rancher allows users on managed clusters to gain…
CVE-2021-36782 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): A Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information vulnerability in SUSE Rancher allows authenticated Cluster Owners, Cluster…
CVE-2020-9045 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): During installation or upgrade to Software House C•CURE 9000 v2.70 and American Dynamics victor Video Management…
CVE-2026-31848 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Nexxt Solutions Nebula 300+ firmware through version 12.01.01.37 uses the ecos_pw cookie for authentication, which…
CVE-2025-65826 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The mobile application was found to contain stored credentials for the network it was developed on. If an attacker…
CVE-2025-34206 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Vasion Print (formerly PrinterLogic) Virtual Appliance Host and Application (VA and SaaS deployments) mount host…

Browse all CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) vulnerabilities →