CVE-2023-28093

Administrator escalation via unsigned service binary

Published Apr 10, 2023 · Updated Feb 7, 2025

Improper certificate validation in Pega Synchronization Engine 3.1.1 through 3.1.27 allows local users to gain Administrator access. The Pega Updater Service accepts a configuration-selected unsigned binary and starts it as a service without validating its signing certificate. Non-admin access to a client desktop is required, and successful exploitation executes attacker-controlled code with service privileges.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.39%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper certificate validation in Pega Synchronization Engine 3.1.1 through 3.1.27 allows local users to gain Administrator access. The Pega Updater Service accepts a configuration-selected unsigned binary and starts it as a service without validating its signing certificate. Non-admin access to a client desktop is required, and successful exploitation executes attacker-controlled code with service privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-28093
Published
Apr 10, 2023
Updated
Feb 7, 2025
Vendor
Pegasystems Inc.
Product
Pega Synchronization Engine
Classifications
CWE-295, T1543.003
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 10, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 7, 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=3.1.1 <unspecified
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <3.1.28

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Pegasystems Inc. · Pega Synchronization Engineversion=3.1.1 <unspecified; version=unspecified <3.1.28

Published CVSS scores

6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
7.5Pegasystems Inc.CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-295Improper Certificate Validation
T1543.003Create or Modify System Process: Windows Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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