Security Resilience

CVE-2023-42130

Path Traversal in A10Networks Advanced Core Operating System 5.1.0 – 5.2.1

Public PoCPath Traversal
Published
03 May 2024
Modified
18 August 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.021 82th percentile
Risk Priority 73 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-2023-42130 is a high-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in A10Networks Advanced Core Operating System. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 18% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

CVE-2023-42130 is a directory traversal vulnerability in the FileMgmtExport class of A10 Thunder ADC that permits arbitrary file read and deletion. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied paths before they are used in file operations, and it carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 with CWE-22.

Authenticated remote attackers can exploit the issue to read or delete arbitrary files on affected installations in the context of the service account. No unauthenticated access vector is described.

A10 Networks has published a security advisory for the file-access vulnerability, available alongside the Zero Day Initiative disclosure at the referenced URLs. The EPSS score has remained at 0.1131 with no material increase after disclosure.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A10 Thunder ADC FileMgmtExport Directory Traversal Arbitrary File Read and Deletion Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to read and delete arbitrary files on affected installations of A10 Thunder ADC. Authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw…

more

exists within the FileMgmtExport class. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied path prior to using it in file operations. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to read and delete files in the context of the service account. . Was ZDI-CAN-17905.

CWE(s)

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.
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…
T1016.001 Internet Connection Discovery Discovery
Adversaries may check for Internet connectivity on compromised systems.
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.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-42129Same product: A10Networks Advanced Core Operating System
CVE-2023-41373Same product class: WAF / load balancer
CVE-2020-5902Same product class: WAF / load balancer
CVE-2023-28406Same product class: WAF / load balancer
CVE-2026-42780Same product class: WAF / load balancer
CVE-2025-54755Same product class: WAF / load balancer
CVE-2023-27856Shared CWE-22
CVE-2024-43011Shared CWE-22
CVE-2026-7086Shared CWE-22
CVE-2024-10011Shared CWE-22

Affected Assets

a10networks
advanced core operating system
4.1.4, 5.2.1 · 5.1.0 — 5.2.1 · 6.0.0 — 6.0.2

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

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Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.3.2

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Enforces the intended directory access authorizations that path traversal would otherwise bypass.

Input validation directly neutralizes special path elements before pathname construction occurs.

Least privilege reduces the impact of any unauthorized file access obtained via traversal.

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-02 partial match
blocks

Patching/maintenance can remediate known path-traversal flaws in deployed software (partial prevention of exploitability) but does nothing to stop the coding defect from being introduced in the first place.

PR.AA-05 none match
blocks

PR.AA-05 defines and reviews access policies but does not address code-level pathname neutralization, so neither direction prevents CWE-22.

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