CVE-2023-0669
RCE in Fortra Goanywhere Managed File Transfer ≤ 7.1.2
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2023-0669 is a high-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Fortra Goanywhere Managed File Transfer. Its CVSS base score is 7.2 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 0.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
Fortra GoAnywhere MFT contains a pre-authentication command injection vulnerability in the License Response Servlet that stems from deserializing an arbitrary attacker-controlled object, corresponding to CWE-502. The flaw affects the product prior to the patch release in version 7.1.2 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.2.
An attacker with network access can supply a malicious serialized object to the servlet without prior authentication, resulting in remote code execution that grants full control over the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. Public exploit code, including a Metasploit module, has been released to leverage the deserialization path.
Vendor guidance and multiple security advisories state that upgrading to GoAnywhere MFT 7.1.2 eliminates the vulnerability; organizations are advised to apply the update promptly given confirmed active exploitation in the wild shortly after disclosure.
The associated EPSS score has reached a peak of 0.9722 with a current value of 0.9438, and public references document real-world attacks together with readily available proof-of-concept tools.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-0644
Vulnerability Data
Fortra (formerly, HelpSystems) GoAnywhere MFT suffers from a pre-authentication command injection vulnerability in the License Response Servlet due to deserializing an arbitrary attacker-controlled object. This issue was patched in version 7.1.2.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 10 February 2023
Related Threats
Threat-Actor AttributionAI
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
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Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
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.
Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.
Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.
Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.
Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.
Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.
Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.
Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.
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-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.
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.
Security testing includes validation of deserialization routines and the use of untrusted data, reducing the likelihood that unsafe object reconstruction will be deployed.
Requiring vetted libraries, regular updates and SAST before release reduces the likelihood that deserialization logic will accept and act on attacker-controlled serialized objects.
Regular scanning of third-party libraries and timely patching reduce the likelihood that unsafe deserialization vulnerabilities remain active.
Mandatory malware scanning of data received over networks or storage media intercepts malicious serialized payloads before they are deserialized by the target application.