CVE-2023-39418
Redhat Enterprise Linux 8.0 … 9.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:NCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-39418 is a low-severity Insufficient Granularity of Access Control (CWE-1220) vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux. Its CVSS base score is 3.1 (Low).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Cloud Services (T1021.007); ranked in the top 35% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-43142
Vulnerability Data
A vulnerability was found in PostgreSQL with the use of the MERGE command, which fails to test new rows against row security policies defined for UPDATE and SELECT. If UPDATE and SELECT policies forbid some rows that INSERT policies do…
more
not forbid, a user could store such rows.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
V16.4.2V8.4.2V11.7.1V13.2.4
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.
Use of granular security and privacy attributes enables finer access control than coarse permission models alone.
Documenting interface characteristics enables more granular control over internal access.
Requires the architecture to describe granularity and placement of controls, preventing insufficiently fine-grained access decisions.
Provides the necessary granularity by placing system management functions outside the reach of user-level access controls.
Isolation supplies an explicit, enforceable granularity boundary between security and non-security functions that coarser access-control schemes lack.
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.IR-01's segmentation + zero-trust rules directly enforce minimum-necessary access at network boundaries, removing most instances of overly broad policy; CWE-1220 can still exist in application-layer or intra-segment controls that this single outcome does not address.
PR.PS-06's general SDLC practices can surface granularity issues during design/review (partial prevention) but do not specifically target access-control policy breadth, so they remove only part of CWE-1220's risk.
CWE-1220 permits unauthorized access to sensitive assets but neither prevents nor impairs the delivery of adverse-event information to authorized recipients.
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.5.15 directly mandates defining and implementing granular access control rules (including need-to-know, role-based restrictions, segregation, dynamic factors, and consistency with classification), which stops most insufficient-granularity cases from being exploitable; the bounded remainder is access-control defects inside individual applications or physical mechanisms that the clause explicitly delegates elsewhere (8.26, 7.2-7.4).
A.5.18 directly governs the provisioning, review, adjustment and revocation of access rights (including granularity via segregation of duties, policy conformance and owner authorization), which stops most insufficient-granularity cases from being exploitable; the bounded remainder is access-control mechanisms whose implemented policy is simply too coarse even after rights are correctly assigned and reviewed.
A.8.2 directly controls allocation, review, temporary use, separation, and heightened authentication of privileged rights per least-privilege policy, which stops most insufficient-granularity cases from being exploitable; the bounded remainder is policy-level granularity flaws inside non-privileged code paths that never reach a privileged-rights decision.
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).
Windows Server 2016 (1 rule)
- V-225025 Local accounts with blank passwords must be restricted to prevent access from the network. blocks CWE-1220