CVE-2023-53955
Published: 22 December 2025
Summary
CVE-2023-53955 is a critical-severity Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key (CWE-639) vulnerability in Sound4 Impact Firmware. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 28.6% 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 are NIST 800-53 AC-25 (Reference Monitor) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
AC-3 enforces approved authorizations for access to system resources, directly preventing IDOR exploits that bypass authorization via manipulated object references.
AC-25 implements a reference monitor to mediate all subject-object accesses according to policy, countering insecure direct object references that evade authorization checks.
SI-10 validates user-supplied inputs, blocking manipulation of object references required to exploit the IDOR vulnerability.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
CVE-2023-53955 is an IDOR vulnerability in public-facing web interfaces of SOUND4 products, enabling remote unauthenticated attackers to bypass authorization and execute privileged operations, directly mapping to exploitation of public-facing applications.
NVD Description
SOUND4 IMPACT/FIRST/PULSE/Eco v2.x contains an insecure direct object reference vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass authorization and access hidden system resources. Attackers can exploit the vulnerability by manipulating user-supplied input to execute privileged functionalities without proper authentication.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2023-53955 is an insecure direct object reference vulnerability (CWE-639) present in SOUND4 IMPACT, FIRST, PULSE, and Eco products running version 2.x. This flaw enables attackers to bypass authorization controls and access hidden system resources by manipulating user-supplied input, allowing the execution of privileged functionalities without proper authentication. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating critical severity due to its network accessibility, low complexity, and high potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Remote attackers require no privileges, authentication, or user interaction to exploit the vulnerability. By altering user-supplied input, they can directly reference and access unauthorized objects, executing privileged operations that compromise the targeted system.
Advisories from VulnCheck and Zero Science Laboratory (ZSL-2022-5723) detail the authorization bypass via insecure object references in the affected SOUND4 products. An exploit is publicly available on Exploit-DB (ID 51169). No specific patch or mitigation details are provided in the referenced advisories, and the vendor's site is archived via web.archive.org.
The public availability of an exploit on Exploit-DB suggests potential for real-world exploitation, though no confirmed incidents are noted in the provided information.
Details
- CWE(s)