CVE-2023-3251Network attack vector

SMTP credential disclosure via pass-back flaw

Published Aug 29, 2023 · Updated Sep 30, 2024

Credential exposure in Tenable Nessus before 10.6.0 allows remote authenticated users with administrator privileges to read stored SMTP credentials. Tenable describes a pass-back flaw but has not published the affected endpoint or the operation that returns the stored secret. Exploitation requires Nessus administrator access and exposes SMTP credentials without a reported ability to modify data or interrupt service.

CVSS severity4.1
Medium
EPSS probability0.61%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Credential exposure in Tenable Nessus before 10.6.0 allows remote authenticated users with administrator privileges to read stored SMTP credentials. Tenable describes a pass-back flaw but has not published the affected endpoint or the operation that returns the stored secret. Exploitation requires Nessus administrator access and exposes SMTP credentials without a reported ability to modify data or interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-3251
Published
Aug 29, 2023
Updated
Sep 30, 2024
Vendor
Tenable
Product
Nessus
Classifications
CWE-522, T1555
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 29, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 30, 2024Record 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=0 <10.6.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Tenable · Nessusversion=0 <10.6.0

Published CVSS scores

4.9NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
3.9Tenable Network Security, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N/E:F/RL:T/RC:C
4.1Tenable Network Security, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-522Insufficiently Protected Credentials
T1555Credentials from Password Stores

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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