CVE-2023-45249
Acronis Cyber Infrastructure ≤ 5.0.1-61
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-45249 is a critical-severity Use of Default Password (CWE-1393) vulnerability in Acronis Cyber Infrastructure. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Steganography (T1001.002); ranked in the top 1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and IA-5 (Authenticator Management) — 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-2023-45249 is a remote command execution vulnerability caused by the use of default passwords. It affects Acronis Cyber Infrastructure (ACI) builds prior to 5.0.1-61, 5.1.1-71, 5.2.1-69, 5.3.1-53, and 5.4.4-132. The flaw carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8, reflecting network attack vector, low complexity, and no required privileges or user interaction.
An unauthenticated attacker with network access can exploit the default credentials to obtain remote command execution, resulting in full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the affected ACI installation. The same exposure allows an adversary to move laterally or persist within the environment once initial access is gained.
Acronis security advisory SEC-6452 directs customers to upgrade to the fixed builds listed above. The vulnerability appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and independent reporting confirms it has been exploited in the wild. Its EPSS score of 0.9348 indicates sustained exploitation interest following disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-49555
Vulnerability Data
Remote command execution due to use of default passwords. The following products are affected: Acronis Cyber Infrastructure (ACI) before build 5.0.1-61, Acronis Cyber Infrastructure (ACI) before build 5.1.1-71, Acronis Cyber Infrastructure (ACI) before build 5.2.1-69, Acronis Cyber Infrastructure (ACI) before…
more
build 5.3.1-53, Acronis Cyber Infrastructure (ACI) before build 5.4.4-132.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 29 July 2024
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Authenticator management requires verification of identity at initial distribution and secure handling that directly stops default passwords from remaining in use.
Configuration settings establish the most restrictive secure baselines, which include changing or disabling default passwords.
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.
Vulnerability scanning will discover default-password instances, enabling remediation, yet does not itself prevent their initial use.
Credential management directly requires replacing default passwords with unique, strong credentials.
Authentication policies can enforce non-default passwords but do not address the full scope of credential lifecycle.
Authorization policies assume credentials already exist and are not default; least-privilege helps limit impact but does not prevent defaults.
Hardened configuration baselines explicitly prohibit default passwords, covering most of the weakness but not all identity-management aspects.
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.
Mandates secure handling and change of authentication secrets, directly addressing default passwords.
Requires secure authentication mechanisms, which includes replacing or disabling default credentials.
Configuration management processes typically enforce changing defaults during hardening.