Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-41038

HighDDoS

Published: 20 March 2024

Published
20 March 2024
Modified
03 December 2025
KEV Added
Patch
CVSS Score v3.1 7.5 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0014 34.2th percentile
Risk Priority 15 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2023-41038 is a high-severity Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (CWE-770) vulnerability in Firebirdsql Firebird. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).

Operationally, ranked at the 34.2th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability details

Firebird is a relational database. Versions 4.0.0 through 4.0.3 and version 5.0 beta1 are vulnerable to a server crash when a user uses a specific form of SET BIND statement. Any non-privileged user with minimum access to a server may…

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type a statement with a long `CHAR` length, which causes the server to crash due to stack corruption. Versions 4.0.4.2981 and 5.0.0.117 contain fixes for this issue. No known workarounds are available.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.

Affected Assets

firebirdsql
firebird
5.0 · 4.0.0 — 4.0.3

Mitigating Controls

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-770

This control implements explicit throttling on session allocation, addressing the weakness of allocating resources without limits.

addresses: CWE-770

Plan testing exercises resource allocation limits and throttling during simulated failures, directly addressing weaknesses that allow unbounded resource use.

addresses: CWE-770

Contingency plan updates ensure recovery strategies address unbounded resource allocation, making it harder for attackers to exploit lack of throttling to cause prolonged outages.

addresses: CWE-770

Provides continuity when unbounded resource allocation at the primary site leads to exhaustion and downtime.

addresses: CWE-770

Alternate services allow operations to continue when primary allocation of resources lacks limits or throttling.

addresses: CWE-770

Explicit planning of security-related actions requires defining limits, windows, and resource allocations, making allocation without throttling far less likely.

addresses: CWE-770

Measures of performance include tracking allocation behavior and throttling effectiveness, reducing the window for resource exhaustion attacks.

addresses: CWE-770

Imposes an inactivity-based limit on network resource allocation, throttling the number of concurrently held connections.

References