Security Resilience

CVE-2023-43960

Dlink Dph-400Se Firmware 2.2.15.8

Public PoC
Published
11 October 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
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 0.014 73th percentile
Risk Priority 71 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-2023-43960 is a high-severity Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269) vulnerability in Dlink Dph-400Se Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, ranked in the top 27% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

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-2023-43960 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in the D-Link DPH-400SE IP phone running firmware version 2.2.15.8. The flaw resides in the User Modify function within the Maintenance/Access component and stems from improper privilege management (CWE-269). It received a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8, reflecting network attack vector, low complexity, and low required privileges.

An authenticated attacker with low privileges can send crafted requests to the User Modify function over the network and elevate their access rights. Successful exploitation grants the attacker full control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the device, effectively allowing takeover of administrative functions.

Publicly available references include a technical write-up on HackMD and working exploit code published on Exploit-DB; no vendor advisory or official patch information appears in the listed sources. The EPSS score has remained flat at 0.0632 with no material increase since disclosure.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

An issue in DLINK DPH-400SE FRU 2.2.15.8 allows a remote attacker to escalate privileges via the User Modify function in the Maintenance/Access function component.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-45784Same product: Dlink Dph-400Se
CVE-2025-29165Same vendor: Dlink
CVE-2023-44809Same vendor: Dlink
CVE-2025-55582Same vendor: Dlink
CVE-2025-55581Same vendor: Dlink
CVE-2025-14659Same vendor: Dlink
CVE-2024-33111Same vendor: Dlink
CVE-2025-14225Same vendor: Dlink
CVE-2025-46176Same vendor: Dlink
CVE-2023-43200Same vendor: Dlink

Affected Assets

dlink
dph-400se firmware
2.2.15.8

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-269

Policy addresses roles, responsibilities, and privilege management to prevent improper privilege assignments.

addresses: CWE-269

Access supervision ensures privileges are assigned and managed without improper escalation or retention.

addresses: CWE-269

Assigning group/role memberships and access authorizations (privileges) while reviewing accounts addresses improper privilege management.

addresses: CWE-269

Enforces proper privilege management by requiring all decisions through the verified reference monitor.

addresses: CWE-269

By mandating division of duties across roles, the control enforces proper privilege management and prevents a single entity from controlling an entire sensitive process.

addresses: CWE-269

Implements core proper privilege management by restricting to only required rights.

addresses: CWE-269

Policy requires training on privilege management and least privilege, making it harder to exploit improper privilege management weaknesses.

addresses: CWE-269

Training covers proper privilege management practices, making incorrect privilege assignments less likely.

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.

blocks

A.5.15 directly mandates determining access requirements, defining/enforcing topic-specific access control policy, assigning rights/restrictions by entity/role, consistency with classification, need-to-know, privileged access restrictions, segregation, formal authorization, and dynamic rules — which stops most improper privilege management from being exploitable; bounded remainder is flawed implementation of those rules (e.g. incorrect mapping or enforcement bugs).

blocks

A.5.18 directly governs the provisioning, review, modification and timely revocation of access rights (including for role changes, termination and privilege levels), which stops most improper privilege spheres from being exploitable even if the assignment flaw exists; the bounded remainder is flaws in the underlying enforcement mechanism itself (e.g. AC-3/A.8.3)

blocks

Defining and communicating authorization levels for each role limits the assignment of excessive or unnecessary privileges.

A.8.15 Logging partial match
finds

Logging every use of privileges and protecting those records makes it harder for an attacker who has obtained elevated rights to operate without leaving evidence.

blocks

A.8.2 directly controls the identification, allocation, review, expiry, temporary use, and separation of privileged rights per policy, which prevents most improper privilege management (CWE-269) by design; the bounded remainder is flawed tracking/checking logic inside the product's own enforcement code (the AC-3 slice of 269).

blocks

A.8.27 mandates security-by-design principles including least privilege, default deny, fail securely, defence in depth, security architecture integration, hardening, and zero-trust verification of every request; these directly stop most improper privilege spheres from being exploitable even if the assignment flaw remains, with a bounded remainder (e.g. certain legacy or safety-overridden controls).

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.

References