CVE-2023-27253
Netgate Pfsense 2.7.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-27253 is a high-severity aka Blind XPath Injection (CWE-91) vulnerability in Netgate Pfsense. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Security Account Manager (T1003.002); ranked in the top 0.2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV 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.
A command injection vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-27253 affects the restore_rrddata() function in Netgate pfSense version 2.7.0. The flaw resides in the handling of the config.xml component and stems from insufficient validation of XML content, enabling an attacker to inject operating-system commands. It carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 and is also associated with CWE-91.
An authenticated attacker with network access can supply a crafted XML file to the affected component and thereby execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system. Because the attack requires only low privileges and no user interaction, successful exploitation can result in full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the pfSense instance.
Public references point to a corrective commit in the pfSense repository and a corresponding Redmine issue that document the remediation steps. The same references include a public exploit archive entry describing the restore-rrd-data injection vector, indicating that patch application or upgrade to a fixed release is the primary mitigation path. The associated EPSS score remains near 0.79 with negligible movement between its recorded peak and current values.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-31031
Vulnerability Data
A command injection vulnerability in the function restore_rrddata() of Netgate pfSense v2.7.0 allows authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands via manipulating the contents of an XML file supplied to the component config.xml.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
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.
Secure SDLC directly requires input neutralization and validation that eliminates XML injection flaws.
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.
Logging can record injection attempts for detection but does not prevent the weakness.
Monitoring can detect exploitation but provides no preventive control over XML handling.
A.8.25 mandates secure SDLC practices (secure coding guidelines, security requirements, checkpoints, testing including code scans) that reach XML injection when developers follow them, but leaves a minority slice where implementation is incomplete or the outsourced supplier assurance fails.
A.8.26 requires identifying and specifying security requirements (including resilience against SQL injections and input validation) determined via risk assessment; this can address XML injection for some applications but leaves a bounded remainder where requirements are scoped narrowly, not fully enforced in code, or miss XML-specific neutralization.
A.8.27 mandates security-by-design principles, secure architecture patterns (defense-in-depth, least privilege, distrust external input, fail securely), design reviews against known attack patterns, and data validation/sanitization guidance that reach a slice of XML injection cases, but leaves the dominant code-level neutralization defect untouched without further implementation-specific controls.