CVE-2023-0751Network attack vector

Master key recovery via discarded stdin keyfile

Published Feb 8, 2023 · Updated Mar 25, 2025

Improper input validation in FreeBSD GELI allows remote authenticated users to recover the master key protecting affected providers. When geli init reads a key file from standard input for multiple providers, it consumes the stream for the first provider and supplies a NULL key file to each later provider. Recovery requires a later provider initialized in the same operation with only the key file and no passphrase; its master key is then protected by an empty key file.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
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

Improper input validation in FreeBSD GELI allows remote authenticated users to recover the master key protecting affected providers. When geli init reads a key file from standard input for multiple providers, it consumes the stream for the first provider and supplies a NULL key file to each later provider. Recovery requires a later provider initialized in the same operation with only the key file and no passphrase; its master key is then protected by an empty key file.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0751
Published
Feb 8, 2023
Updated
Mar 25, 2025
Vendor
The FreeBSD Project
Product
FreeBSD
Classifications
CWE-20
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 8, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 25, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=12.3-RELEASE <12.3-RELEASE-p11
  2. Affected versionversion=12.4-RELEASE <12.4-RELEASE-p1
  3. Affected versionversion=13.1-RELEASE <13.1-RELEASE-p6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The FreeBSD Project · FreeBSDversion=12.3-RELEASE <12.3-RELEASE-p11; version=12.4-RELEASE <12.4-RELEASE-p1; version=13.1-RELEASE <13.1-RELEASE-p6

Published CVSS scores

6.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation

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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