Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:NCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2023-46233 is a critical-severity Use of Weak Hash (CWE-328) vulnerability in Crypto-Js Project Crypto-Js. Its CVSS base score is 9.1 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Password Cracking (T1110.002); ranked at the 49th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-2840
Vulnerability Data
crypto-js is a JavaScript library of crypto standards. Prior to version 4.2.0, crypto-js PBKDF2 is 1,000 times weaker than originally specified in 1993, and at least 1,300,000 times weaker than current industry standard. This is because it both defaults to…
more
SHA1, a cryptographic hash algorithm considered insecure since at least 2005, and defaults to one single iteration, a 'strength' or 'difficulty' value specified at 1,000 when specified in 1993. PBKDF2 relies on iteration count as a countermeasure to preimage and collision attacks. If used to protect passwords, the impact is high. If used to generate signatures, the impact is high. Version 4.2.0 contains a patch for this issue. As a workaround, configure crypto-js to use SHA256 with at least 250,000 iterations.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
- 3 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
V11.2.3V6.5.2V11.4.2
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.
Contacts with security groups provide timely information on broken or risky cryptographic algorithms, reducing the likelihood of their selection and use.
Enforces approved cryptographic algorithms for each use case, blocking use of broken or risky algorithms.
Flaw remediation replaces broken or risky cryptographic algorithms once safer implementations are released by vendors.
Ongoing education and sharing of recommended practices helps organizations identify and migrate away from broken or risky cryptographic algorithms.
Cross-organization threat feeds commonly include advances in cryptanalysis and active exploits against weak or broken algorithms, allowing organizations to deprecate them proactively.
Capital planning and funding allow selection and ongoing support of strong cryptographic algorithms rather than weak or broken ones.
Risk updates surface newly-broken or risky cryptographic algorithms as threat intelligence and computing advances evolve, enabling timely replacement.
Scanners flag use of broken or weak cryptographic algorithms via known-vulnerability databases.
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.
Authentication policies may reference password handling but do not address storage or computational cost of hashes.
Proper data-at-rest integrity protection requires strong cryptographic hashes, directly blocking weak-hash usage.
Data-in-transit integrity likewise depends on strong hashes, so the control prevents the weakness while the weakness only partially satisfies the outcome.
Secure-SDLC requirements explicitly forbid weak cryptographic algorithms, fully preventing CWE-328 while covering only one aspect of development practice.
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.
Requires secure handling of authentication information, which includes choosing strong password hashing schemes.
A.5.31 only requires identifying, reviewing and considering legal/regulatory/contractual requirements (including crypto restrictions); it does not itself stop use of a broken algorithm or block its exploitation
A.5.6 only promotes membership in groups to receive early warnings, advisories, and specialist advice about vulnerabilities (including risky crypto); it does not stop exploitation of an already-present broken algorithm, which requires other controls (e.g. A.8.24) to act.
A.8.24's policy, algorithm selection (b,f), and key management directly require strong hashes meeting security expectations, preventing weak-hash use in most approved cryptographic contexts, but leaves a bounded remainder for non-crypto uses of hashing (e.g. data structures, non-security checksums) where the clause has no mandate.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Windows 10 (1 rule)
- V-220937 The system must be configured to prevent the storage of the LAN Manager hash of passwords. blocks CWE-328
Windows Server 2016 (1 rule)
- V-225053 Windows Server 2016 must be configured to prevent the storage of the LAN Manager hash of passwords. blocks CWE-328
Windows Server 2019 (1 rule)
- V-205654 Windows Server 2019 must be configured to prevent the storage of the LAN Manager hash of passwords. blocks CWE-328