Security Resilience

CVE-2023-32002

Auth Bypass in Nodejs Node.Js 16.0.0 – 16.20.1

Auth Bypass
Published
21 August 2023
Modified
02 July 2025
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.016 75th percentile
Risk Priority 74 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-2023-32002 is a critical-severity Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel (CWE-288) vulnerability in Nodejs Node.Js. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 25% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A07:2025 Authentication Failures

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

The use of `Module._load()` can bypass the policy mechanism and require modules outside of the policy.json definition for a given module. This vulnerability affects all users using the experimental policy mechanism in all active release lines: 16.x, 18.x and, 20.x.…

more

Please note that at the time this CVE was issued, the policy is an experimental feature of Node.js.

CWE(s)
NVD-CWE-noinfoCWE-288

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001 Data Obfuscation Command And Control
Adversaries may obfuscate command and control traffic to make it more difficult to detect.
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 →
T1018 Remote System Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may attempt to get a listing of other systems by IP address, hostname, or other logical identifier on a network that may be used for Lateral Movement from the current system.
attack.mitre.org →
T1027.006 HTML Smuggling Stealth
Adversaries may smuggle data and files past content filters by hiding malicious payloads inside of seemingly benign HTML files.
attack.mitre.org →
T1027.009 Embedded Payloads Stealth
Adversaries may embed payloads within other files to conceal malicious content from defenses.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-21716Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2026-48619Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2026-48928Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2025-59465Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2026-21712Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2026-48615Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2023-32005Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2023-23918Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2026-21714Same product: Nodejs Node.Js
CVE-2025-55130Same product: Nodejs Node.Js

Affected Assets

nodejs
node.js
16.0.0 — 16.20.1 · 18.0.0 — 18.17.0 · 20.0.0 — 20.5.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 7 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V6.4.3
  • V6.6.1
  • V12.1.3

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.

AC-17 Remote Access
addresses: CWE-288

Authorizing remote access reduces the ability to bypass authentication via unauthorized alternate remote channels.

AC-9 Previous Logon Notification
addresses: CWE-288

Users can identify logons via alternate paths or channels by reviewing the previous logon time.

IA-10 Adaptive Authentication
addresses: CWE-288

Adaptive requirements can apply across access paths, reducing the ability to bypass authentication via alternate channels or paths.

IA-13 Identity Providers and Authorization Servers
addresses: CWE-288

Centralized IdPs close alternate authentication paths that enable bypass.

IA-8 Identification and Authentication (Non-organizational Users)
addresses: CWE-288

Enforces authentication for non-organizational users, making it harder to bypass via alternate paths or channels.

SC-11 Trusted Path
addresses: CWE-288

Requires authentication to occur exclusively over the isolated trusted path, directly preventing bypass via alternate or untrusted channels.

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.AA-03 partial match
blocks

Requiring authentication on every channel and path directly eliminates alternate-path bypasses.

PR.AA-05 partial match
blocks

Enforcing authorizations and least privilege across all access vectors prevents unauthenticated alternate paths.

PR.IR-01 partial match
blocks

Protecting networks and environments from unauthorized logical access blocks bypass via undocumented channels.

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
blocks

A.5.15 only requires defining a topic-specific access control policy and determining requirements; it does not itself enforce, implement or configure any access rules that would stop an alternate unauthenticated path from being exploitable.

A.5.16 Identity management partial match
removes
A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
removes
A.5.18 Access rights partial match
blocks

Access rights provisioning and review prevent bypass via unmonitored or alternate channels.

A.8.10 Information deletion partial match
removes

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
  • V-248598 There must be no ".shosts" files on the OL 8 operating system. blocks CWE-288
  • V-248827 OL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288
Oracle Linux 9 (2 rules)
  • V-271757 OL 9 file systems must not contain shosts.equiv files. blocks CWE-288
  • V-271758 OL 9 file systems must not contain .shosts files. blocks CWE-288
RHEL 7 (3 rules)
  • V-204440 Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating systems version 7.2 or newer using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) must require authentication upon booting into single-user and maintenance modes. blocks CWE-288
  • V-204442 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not have the rsh-server package installed. blocks CWE-288
  • V-204424 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not allow accounts configured with blank or null passwords. blocks CWE-288

References