CVE-2023-23614Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Administrative login via reusable password-hash cookie

Published Jan 26, 2023 · Updated Mar 10, 2025

Insufficient session expiration in Pi-hole Web Interface 4.0 through 5.18.2 allows attackers with the admin hash to gain administrative access. The password.php authentication path stores WEBPASSWORD directly in persistentlogin and accepts the same hash as proof of authentication. A leaked cookie or separately obtained WEBPASSWORD hash remains reusable until the administrator changes the password, exposing all administrative functions.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.97%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insufficient session expiration in Pi-hole Web Interface 4.0 through 5.18.2 allows attackers with the admin hash to gain administrative access. The password.php authentication path stores WEBPASSWORD directly in persistentlogin and accepts the same hash as proof of authentication. A leaked cookie or separately obtained WEBPASSWORD hash remains reusable until the administrator changes the password, exposing all administrative functions.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-23614
Published
Jan 26, 2023
Updated
Mar 10, 2025
Vendor
Pi-hole
Product
Pi-hole Web Interface
Classifications
CWE-836, CWE-613, CWE-402, T1550.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 26, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 10, 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?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=<= 4.0, >= 5.18.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Pi-hole · Pi-hole Web Interfaceversion=<= 4.0, >= 5.18.3

Published CVSS scores

8.8GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

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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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-836Use of Password Hash Instead of Password for Authentication
CWE-613Insufficient Session Expiration
CWE-402Transmission of Private Resources into a New Sphere ('Resource Leak')
T1550.004Web Session Cookie

Public exploit references

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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