CVE-2023-38408

Exploitation

Assessed, none found. CISA's assessment recorded neither public exploit code nor evidence of exploitation when it was made.

SSVC decision

• ExploitationnoneCISA recorded no public exploit code and no evidence of exploitation.
• AutomatableyesAn attacker can reliably automate reconnaissance through exploitation, so this scales.
• Technical ImpacttotalSuccessful exploitation gives total control of the vulnerable component.

CISA publishes the decision points, not a final SSVC decision. The decision also depends on mission and well-being impact, which is a property of your deployment rather than of the vulnerability.

EPSS probability

79.70% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.

EPSS percentile

Ranks above 99.6% of scored records. A rank, not a probability.

NVD base score

9.8 (CVSS v3.x), scored by the NVD independently of the CNA.

NVD CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

NVD analysis status

Modified. NVD last modified this record on 2026-06-17.

Red Hat severity

Important. Red Hat's rating for its own products, not a CVSS rating.

Exploit-prediction scores from FIRST. Independent scoring and analysis status from the NVD. Vendor severity from Red Hat. Exploitation assessment and catalog membership from CISA.

Published

2023-07-20 00:00Z3 YR AGO

Last updated

2024-10-15 18:33Z1 YR AGO

Reserved

2023-07-17

Assigning CNA

mitre

Record state

PUBLISHED

Severity

Critical (CVSS 9.8)

CNA CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weaknesses

• CWE-428Unquoted Search Path or ElementBase
• CWE-94Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')Base

Data version

5.1

Document digest

bb74cc5d7476277b765ff474d5240cc5ba92ef839fc9493eacebc02ba4d4dbf9

• news.ycombinator.comhttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196
• blog.qualys.comhttps://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408-remote-code-execution-in-opensshs-forwarded-ssh-agent
• www.qualys.comhttps://www.qualys.com/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408/rce-openssh-forwarded-ssh-agent.txt
• github.comhttps://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7ca
• github.comhttps://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8
• github.comhttps://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351d
• www.openssh.comhttps://www.openssh.com/txt/release-9.3p2
• www.openssh.comhttps://www.openssh.com/security.html
• security.gentoo.orgGLSA-202307-01https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202307-01vendor-advisory
• www.openwall.com[oss-security] 20230719 Re: CVE-2023-38408: Remote Code Execution in OpenSSH's forwarded ssh-agenthttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1mailing-list
• www.openwall.com[oss-security] 20230720 Re: Announce: OpenSSH 9.3p2 releasedhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2mailing-list
• packetstormsecurity.comhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173661/OpenSSH-Forwarded-SSH-Agent-Remote-Code-Execution.html
• lists.fedoraproject.orgFEDORA-2023-878e04f4aehttps://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RAXVQS6ZYTULFAK3TEJHRLKZALJS3AOU/vendor-advisory
• lists.fedoraproject.orgFEDORA-2023-79a18e1725https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CEBTJJINE2I3FHAUKKNQWMFGYMLSMWKQ/vendor-advisory
• security.netapp.comhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230803-0010/
• lists.debian.org[debian-lts-announce] 20230817 [SECURITY] [DLA 3532-1] openssh security updatehttps://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00021.htmlmailing-list
• www.openwall.com[oss-security] 20230922 Re: illumos (or at least danmcd) membership in the distros listhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/9mailing-list
• www.openwall.com[oss-security] 20230922 Re: illumos (or at least danmcd) membership in the distros listhttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/11mailing-list
• support.apple.comhttps://support.apple.com/kb/HT213940
• www.vicarius.iohttps://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/exploring-opensshs-agent-forwarding-rce-cve-2023-38408