CVE-2023-38492Network attack vector

Service interruption via unbounded login password hashing

Published Jul 27, 2023 · Updated Oct 22, 2024

Resource exhaustion in Content Folder Kirby allows remote attackers to interrupt service through oversized login passwords. The authentication endpoint hashes attacker-supplied passwords up to the server's request-body limit, consuming increasing CPU, memory, and processing time. Sites require user accounts and an enabled API or Panel; built-in throttling limits failed attempts to 10 per IP address and 10 per existing user each hour.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in Content Folder Kirby allows remote attackers to interrupt service through oversized login passwords. The authentication endpoint hashes attacker-supplied passwords up to the server's request-body limit, consuming increasing CPU, memory, and processing time. Sites require user accounts and an enabled API or Panel; built-in throttling limits failed attempts to 10 per IP address and 10 per existing user each hour.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-38492
Published
Jul 27, 2023
Updated
Oct 22, 2024
Vendor
Content Folder
Product
Kirby
Classifications
CWE-770, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 22, 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=< 3.5.8.3
  2. Affected versionversion=>= 3.6.0, < 3.6.6.3
  3. Affected versionversion=>= 3.7.0, < 3.7.5.2
  4. Affected versionversion=>= 3.8.0, < 3.8.41
  5. Affected versionversion=>= 3.9.0, < 3.9.6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Content Folder · Kirbyversion=< 3.5.8.3; version=>= 3.6.0, < 3.6.6.3; version=>= 3.7.0, < 3.7.5.2; version=>= 3.8.0, < 3.8.41; version=>= 3.9.0, < 3.9.6

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.3GitHub Security AdvisoryCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L

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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-770Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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