Security Resilience

CVE-2023-21705

Exposed Creds in Microsoft Sql Server 2012 … 2022

Exposed Creds
Published
14 February 2023
Modified
19 August 2026
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.011 66th percentile
Risk Priority 66 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-2023-21705 is a high-severity Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key (CWE-321) vulnerability in Microsoft Sql Server. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Steganography (T1001.002); ranked in the top 34% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A04:2025 Cryptographic Failures

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Microsoft SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CWE(s)
CWE-321NVD-CWE-noinfo

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001.002 Steganography Command And Control
Adversaries may use steganographic techniques to hide command and control traffic to make detection efforts more difficult.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.001 LSASS Memory Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credential material stored in the process memory of the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS).
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 →
T1003.004 LSA Secrets Credential Access
Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.
attack.mitre.org →
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
attack.mitre.org →
T1007 System Service Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may try to gather information about registered local system services.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-21528Same product: Microsoft Sql Server
CVE-2023-21718Same product: Microsoft Sql Server
CVE-2023-23384Same product: Microsoft Sql Server
CVE-2023-21704Same product: Microsoft Sql Server
CVE-2023-21713Same product: Microsoft Sql Server
CVE-2020-0618Same product: Microsoft Sql Server
CVE-2025-58740Same vendor: Microsoft
CVE-2023-36785Same product: Microsoft Sql Server
CVE-2023-32026Same product: Microsoft Sql Server
CVE-2025-13316Same vendor: Microsoft

Affected Assets

microsoft
sql server
2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019

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.

SA-12 Supply Chain Protection
addresses: CWE-321

Supply chain protection includes scrutiny of cryptographic implementations, reducing hard-coded keys planted by untrusted vendors.

SA-4 Acquisition Process
addresses: CWE-321

Functional and assurance requirements specified in acquisition can prohibit hard-coded cryptographic keys in delivered products.

SC-12 Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management
addresses: CWE-321

Proper key establishment and management processes directly preclude embedding static cryptographic keys in source code or binaries.

SC-17 Public Key Infrastructure Certificates
addresses: CWE-321

Approved PKI issuance and trust stores replace ad-hoc or hard-coded keys with properly managed, signed certificates.

SR-6 Supplier Assessments and Reviews
addresses: CWE-321

Assessments can uncover and prevent suppliers from shipping components that contain hard-coded cryptographic keys.

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.DS-01 partial match
blocks

Data-at-rest protection policies require proper key management and therefore discourage hard-coded keys.

PR.DS-02 partial match
blocks

Data-in-transit protection similarly depends on non-hard-coded keys for encryption.

PR.PS-01 partial match
blocks

Configuration baselines and reviews can prohibit hard-coded keys in deployed artifacts.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure-SDLC activities such as code review and secret scanning directly prevent embedding static keys.

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

References