Security Resilience

CVE-2023-40037

Apache Nifi 1.21.0 – 1.23.1

Published
18 August 2023
Modified
13 February 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
EPSS Score 0.021 81th percentile
Risk Priority 54 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-2023-40037 is a medium-severity Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs (CWE-184) vulnerability in Apache Nifi. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Security Account Manager (T1003.002); ranked in the top 19% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Apache NiFi 1.21.0 through 1.23.0 support JDBC and JNDI JMS access in several Processors and Controller Services with connection URL validation that does not provide sufficient protection against crafted inputs. An authenticated and authorized user can bypass connection URL validation…

more

using custom input formatting. The resolution enhances connection URL validation and introduces validation for additional related properties. Upgrading to Apache NiFi 1.23.1 is the recommended mitigation.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

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.
T1012 Query Registry Discovery
Adversaries may interact with the Windows Registry to gather information about the system, configuration, and installed software.
T1016.001 Internet Connection Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may check for Internet connectivity on compromised systems.
T1021.001 Remote Desktop Protocol Lateral Movement
Adversaries may use [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
T1021.003 Distributed Component Object Model Lateral Movement
Adversaries may use [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
T1021.004 SSH Lateral Movement
Adversaries may use [Valid Accounts](https://attack.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-87976Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2023-49145Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2024-45477Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2024-37389Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2023-34468Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2023-36542Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2026-44913Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2025-27017Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2026-39816Same product: Apache Nifi
CVE-2023-34212Same product: Apache Nifi

Affected Assets

apache
nifi
1.21.0 — 1.23.1

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 2 hardening rules · 1 OS baseline
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V3.5.2
  • V4.4.2
  • V16.2.5

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-184

Spam filters rely on evolving blacklists, signatures, and heuristics of disallowed message patterns; keeping them updated per the control directly mitigates incomplete disallowed-input lists.

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.PS-06 partial match
blocks

Secure SDLC practices directly require complete, positive input validation instead of incomplete denylists.

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.

Hardening callouts derived

DISA STIG baselines are authored against specific weaknesses. Where this CVE cites a broad weakness class, the mapping is not asserted at that abstraction (owner ruling, 2026-09-25: grade only at Base and below), so no rule is shown here rather than a rule shown against the wrong grain.

  • No fine-grained STIG row for CWE-697, a pillar-level weakness, and none of its children carries one either.

References