CVE-2023-39523Public exploit

Authenticated command execution via unsanitized Docker reference

Published Aug 7, 2023 · Updated Oct 3, 2024

Command injection in nexB ScanCode.io 32.5.0 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute shell commands via Docker image input. The fetch_docker_image path passes user-controlled docker_reference text to get_docker_image_platform, which builds a Skopeo command that pipes.run_command executes through a shell without sanitization. Project input privileges are required; injection is blind unless logs are visible, but commands run in the server or container context and can read, alter, or interrupt its resources.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability2.92%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Command injection in nexB ScanCode.io 32.5.0 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to execute shell commands via Docker image input. The fetch_docker_image path passes user-controlled docker_reference text to get_docker_image_platform, which builds a Skopeo command that pipes.run_command executes through a shell without sanitization. Project input privileges are required; injection is blind unless logs are visible, but commands run in the server or container context and can read, alter, or interrupt its resources.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-39523
Published
Aug 7, 2023
Updated
Oct 3, 2024
Vendor
nexB
Product
ScanCode.io
Classifications
CWE-77, T1059
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 7, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 3, 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 <32.5.1
  2. Affected versionversion=< 32.5.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

nexB · ScanCode.ioversion=0 <32.5.1; version=< 32.5.1

Published CVSS scores

8.8NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.8GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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.

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)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-77Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')
T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter

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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