Security Resilience

CVE-2023-33010

Memory Safety in Zyxel Usg Flex 100 Firmware 4.50 – 5.36

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedMemory Safety
Published
24 May 2023
Modified
27 October 2025
KEV Added
05 June 2023
Patch / advisory
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 0.29 98th percentile
Risk Priority 97 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-2023-33010 is a critical-severity Classic Buffer Overflow (CWE-120) vulnerability in Zyxel Usg Flex 100 Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique NTDS (T1003.003); ranked in the top 2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

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 buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the ID processing function of Zyxel firewalls, tracked as CVE-2023-33010. Affected products include the ATP series running firmware 4.32 through 5.36 Patch 1, USG FLEX series 4.50 through 5.36 Patch 1, USG FLEX 50(W) 4.25 through 5.36 Patch 1, USG20(W)-VPN 4.25 through 5.36 Patch 1, VPN series 4.30 through 5.36 Patch 1, and ZyWALL/USG series 4.25 through 4.73 Patch 1. The flaw is classified under CWE-120 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8.

An unauthenticated attacker can exploit the issue remotely over the network without user interaction to trigger denial-of-service conditions or achieve remote code execution on the device.

Zyxel has published a security advisory detailing the buffer overflow issues across its firewall lineup and directing customers to apply the listed firmware patches. The CVE also appears in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

The associated EPSS score remains flat at 0.0732 with no material increase after disclosure.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A buffer overflow vulnerability in the ID processing function in Zyxel ATP series firmware versions 4.32 through 5.36 Patch 1, USG FLEX series firmware versions 4.50 through 5.36 Patch 1, USG FLEX 50(W) firmware versions 4.25 through 5.36 Patch 1,…

more

USG20(W)-VPN firmware versions 4.25 through 5.36 Patch 1, VPN series firmware versions 4.30 through 5.36 Patch 1, ZyWALL/USG series firmware versions 4.25 through 4.73 Patch 1, could allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause denial-of-service (DoS) conditions and even a remote code execution on an affected device.

CWE(s)
KEV Date Added
05 June 2023

Related Threats

Threat-Actor AttributionAI

Google LLC (civil insider-recruitment defendant)
North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs | CISA
Microsoft Corp. (Salesforce / Slack engineer recruitment claims)
North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs | CISA
North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs | CISA
AnonOps
North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs | CISA
Storm-0530
North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs | CISA
Maui ransomware
North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs | CISA
l group
North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs | CISA

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1003.003 NTDS Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access or create a copy of the Active Directory domain database in order to steal credential information, as well as obtain other information about domain members such as devices, users, and access rights.
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.
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…
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.
T1010 Application Window Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may attempt to get a listing of open application windows.
T1012 Query Registry Discovery
Adversaries may interact with the Windows Registry to gather information about the system, configuration, and installed software.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-33009Same product: Zyxel Atp100both on KEV
CVE-2023-22917Same product: Zyxel Atp100
CVE-2023-22915Same product: Zyxel Usg 20W-Vpn
CVE-2023-37926Same product: Zyxel Atp100
CVE-2024-6343Same product: Zyxel Atp100
CVE-2023-4397Same product: Zyxel Atp100
CVE-2023-28771Same product: Zyxel Atp100both on KEV
CVE-2023-34140Same product: Zyxel Usg 20W-Vpn
CVE-2022-30525Same product: Zyxel Atp100both on KEV
CVE-2024-5412Same vendor: Zyxel

Affected Assets

zyxel
atp100 firmware
5.36 · 4.32 — 5.36
zyxel
atp200 firmware
5.36 · 4.32 — 5.36
zyxel
atp500 firmware
5.36 · 4.32 — 5.36
zyxel
atp100w firmware
5.36 · 4.32 — 5.36
zyxel
atp700 firmware
5.36 · 4.32 — 5.36
zyxel
atp800 firmware
5.36 · 4.32 — 5.36
zyxel
usg flex 100 firmware
5.36 · 4.50 — 5.36 · 4.50 — 5.36
zyxel
usg flex 50 firmware
5.36
zyxel
usg flex 200 firmware
5.36 · 4.50 — 5.36
zyxel
usg flex 500 firmware
5.36 · 4.50 — 5.36
+13 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

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)
  • V5.2.1

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.

addresses: CWE-120

Platform-independent managed code eliminates the need for unchecked native buffer copies that are the root cause of classic buffer overflows.

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.

ID.RA-01 partial match
blocks

Vulnerability identification processes such as code review or scanning detect classic buffer overflows before exploitation.

PR.PS-02 partial match
blocks

Routine patching replaces vulnerable code containing unchecked buffer copies with corrected versions.

PR.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure development practices directly enforce bounds checking and input validation that prevent classic buffer overflows.

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.

removes
removes
removes
removes
removes

References