CVE-2023-5623
Tenable Nessus Network Monitor ≤ 6.3.0
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/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-2023-5623 is a high-severity Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Tenable Nessus Network Monitor. Its CVSS base score is 7.0 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Services File Permissions Weakness (T1574.010); ranked at the 4th 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-2023-57916
Vulnerability Data
NNM failed to properly set ACLs on its installation directory, which could allow a low privileged user to run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges where NNM is installed to a non-standard location
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 7 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
V1.3.1
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.
Access control policy can specify and enforce secure default permissions for resources.
Guides setting of default permissions to the minimum required level.
Establishes requirements for appropriate default permissions on system resources as part of configuration management.
Baseline establishment and updates on install/upgrade ensure correct default permissions rather than insecure ones.
Requiring the most restrictive settings instead of defaults prevents incorrect default permissions on resources.
Requires documented processes that include setting and maintaining correct default permissions for configuration items.
Requires addressing secure default permissions in physical and environmental protection controls.
Tailoring explicitly overrides or scopes default permission assignments in the baseline to match the system's actual risk and operational needs.
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-06's SDLC practices directly target injection flaws via secure coding and testing (mostly), yet as a single broad outcome it leaves many code-generation specifics unaddressed (partial).
Lifecycle management can encompass permission settings, yet the control is too broad to specifically mitigate incorrect defaults.
Defining and enforcing least-privilege access permissions directly prevents overly permissive defaults at install time.
Hardened baselines and configuration management explicitly require correct default file permissions.
PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.
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.
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 Server 2016 (2 rules)
- V-224833 Permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. blocks CWE-276
- V-224834 Permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. blocks CWE-276
Windows Server 2019 (2 rules)
- V-205735 Windows Server 2019 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. blocks CWE-276
- V-205736 Windows Server 2019 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. blocks CWE-276