Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-5797

LPE in Zyxel Zld 4.32 – 5.37

Published
28 November 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 5.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0021 12th percentile
Risk Priority 35 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-5797 is a medium-severity Improper Privilege Management (CWE-269) vulnerability in Zyxel Zld. Its CVSS base score is 5.5 (Medium).

Operationally, ranked at the 12th 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

Vulnerability Data

An improper privilege management vulnerability in the debug CLI command of the Zyxel ATP series firmware versions 4.32 through 5.37, USG FLEX series firmware versions 4.50 through 5.37, USG FLEX 50(W) series firmware versions 4.16 through 5.37, USG20(W)-VPN series firmware…

more

versions 4.16 through 5.37, VPN series firmware versions 4.30 through 5.37, NWA50AX firmware version 6.29(ABYW.2), WAC500 firmware version 6.65(ABVS.1), WAX300H firmware version 6.60(ACHF.1), and WBE660S firmware version 6.65(ACGG.1), could allow an authenticated local attacker to access the administrator’s logs on an affected device.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-37925Same product: Zyxel Atp100
CVE-2024-1575Same product: Zyxel Nwa110Ax
CVE-2024-12398Same product: Zyxel Nwa110Ax
CVE-2023-5650Same product: Zyxel Atp100
CVE-2023-5960Same product: Zyxel Usg Flex 100
CVE-2023-6398Same product: Zyxel Atp100
CVE-2023-22918Same product: Zyxel Atp100
CVE-2024-29976Same vendor: Zyxel
CVE-2025-1732Same vendor: Zyxel
CVE-2023-35140Same vendor: Zyxel

Affected Assets

zyxel
zld
4.32 — 5.37 · 4.50 — 5.37 · 4.16 — 5.37
zyxel
nwa110ax firmware
≤ 6.70\(abtg.0\)
zyxel
nwa1123acv3 firmware
≤ 6.70\(abvt.0\)
zyxel
nwa210ax firmware
≤ 6.70\(abtd.0\)
zyxel
nwa220ax-6e firmware
≤ 6.70\(acco.0\)
zyxel
nwa50ax firmware
≤ 6.80\(abyw.0\)
zyxel
nwa50ax-pro firmware
≤ 6.80\(acge.0\)
zyxel
nwa55axe firmware
≤ 6.80\(abzl.0\)
zyxel
nwa90ax firmware
≤ 6.80\(accv.0\)
zyxel
nwa90ax-pro firmware
≤ 6.80\(acgf.0\)
+10 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 5 hardening rules · 5 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

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 (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.AA-05 mostly match
prevents

PR.AA-05 enforces least privilege/SoD and periodic reviews that directly remove most privilege-assignment defects, yet CWE-269 also covers escalation paths and role design outside a single access-management control.

PR.AA-01 partial match
prevents

PR.AA-01 supplies credential/identity lifecycle support that can reduce some privilege-assignment errors but does not itself assign, modify, or check privileges, leaving most of CWE-269's risk unaddressed.

PR.PS-01 partial match
prevents

Config baselines and default reviews can enforce some privilege-related settings (one facet) but do not address code-level assignment/tracking logic that defines CWE-269.

PR.PS-05 partial match
prevents

PR.PS-05 can partially limit exploitability of some privilege issues via execution restrictions, but does not address the core design/implementation flaws of CWE-269 at all.

PR.DS-10 none match
prevents

PR.DS-10 protects data-in-use without touching privilege assignment/tracking, so it neither prevents CWE-269 nor removes more than one narrow facet of its risk.

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.

prevents

Requiring owner approval, segregation of duties, and periodic reviews prevents the assignment of excessive or unnecessary privileges to users or processes.

prevents

Enforcing minimum-necessary privileges, temporary grants, and separation of administrative versus normal identities prevents the over-assignment of rights that CWE-269 describes.

prevents

Dynamic techniques that grant the minimum necessary rights for a given time window and revoke them afterward reduce the window in which excessive or unnecessary privileges can be exploited.

prevents

Explicit restrictions on privileged access and segregation of duties limit the scope of privileges that can be assigned, reducing the chance that excessive or unnecessary privileges are granted to entities.

prevents

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

mitigates

Separating duties such as developing software from administering production systems prevents any one person from accumulating excessive privileges that would constitute improper privilege management.

References