CVE-2023-0090

RCE in Proofpoint Enterprise Protection ≤ 8.13.22

RCE

Published

08 March 2023

Modified

21 November 2024

Patch / advisory

View advisory

CVSS Score v3.1 9.8

Click a component to see what it means

Raw vector

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

EPSS Score 0.0074 54th percentile

Risk Priority 72 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-0090 is a critical-severity Eval Injection (CWE-95) vulnerability in Proofpoint Enterprise Protection. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Junk Data (T1001.001); ranked in the top 46% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-12191

Vulnerability Data

The webservices in Proofpoint Enterprise Protection (PPS/POD) contain a vulnerability that allows for an anonymous user to execute remote code through 'eval injection'. Exploitation requires network access to the webservices API, but such access is a non-standard configuration. This affects…

all versions 8.20.0 and below.

CWE(s): CWE-95 CWE-94

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control

Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.

attack.mitre.org →

T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation Command And Control

Adversaries may impersonate legitimate protocols or web service traffic to disguise command and control activity and thwart analysis efforts.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.002 Security Account Manager Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to extract credential material from the Security Account Manager (SAM) database either through in-memory techniques or through the Windows Registry where the SAM database is stored.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.007 Proc Filesystem Credential Access

Adversaries may gather credentials from the proc filesystem or `/proc`.

attack.mitre.org →

T1003.008 /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow Credential Access

Adversaries may attempt to dump the contents of <code>/etc/passwd</code> and <code>/etc/shadow</code> to enable offline password cracking.

attack.mitre.org →

Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-0089Same product: Proofpoint Enterprise Protection

CVE-2025-66474Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2025-55728Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2026-0863Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2024-41921Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2026-24474Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2025-55727Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2026-47103Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2025-3753Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

CVE-2026-22666Shared CWE-94, CWE-95

Affected Assets

proofpoint

enterprise protection

8.18.6, 8.20.0 · ≤ 8.13.22 · 8.18.0 — 8.18.4

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent

Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect

Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden

Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate

Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

V1.3.1
V1.3.2

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

SC-34 Non-modifiable Executable Programs

addresses: CWE-94

Makes persistent code injection into loaded programs impossible when the executable image itself resides on hardware-protected read-only media.

SC-44 Detonation Chambers

addresses: CWE-94

Dynamically generated code can be produced and executed inside the isolated chamber, preventing host compromise from code-injection payloads.

SI-10 Information Input Validation

addresses: CWE-94

Validates inputs used in dynamic code generation to block injected directives.

SI-16 Memory Protection

addresses: CWE-94

Directly prevents execution of attacker-supplied code written into data memory regions.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match

blocks

PR.PS-06's SDLC practices directly target injection flaws via secure coding and testing (mostly), yet as a single broad outcome it leaves many code-generation specifics unaddressed (partial).

PR.DS-10 none match

blocks

PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.14 Information transfer partial match

removes

A.5.15 Access control partial match

removes

A.5.16 Identity management partial match

removes

A.5.17 Authentication information partial match

removes

A.5.18 Access rights partial match

removes

A.8.10 Information deletion partial match

removes