CVE-2023-0524Network attack vector

Privilege escalation via modifiable plugin environment variables

Published Feb 1, 2023 · Updated Mar 27, 2025

Privilege escalation in Tenable.io, Tenable.sc, and Nessus allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges through plugin environment variables. Tenable identifies an impacted plugin that consumes attacker-modified environment variables but does not disclose the plugin, variable names, or unsafe operation. Reachability requires sufficient existing permissions to change environment variables, and successful exploitation grants privileges beyond the account's authorization.

CVSS severity9.1
Critical
EPSS probability0.64%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Tenable.io, Tenable.sc, and Nessus allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges through plugin environment variables. Tenable identifies an impacted plugin that consumes attacker-modified environment variables but does not disclose the plugin, variable names, or unsafe operation. Reachability requires sufficient existing permissions to change environment variables, and successful exploitation grants privileges beyond the account's authorization.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0524
Published
Feb 1, 2023
Updated
Mar 27, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 1, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 27, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.0NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
9.1TenableCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.9TenableCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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