CVE-2023-40595Network attack vector

Authenticated code execution via collect payload file

Published Aug 30, 2023 · Updated Feb 28, 2025

Untrusted deserialization in affected Splunk Enterprise and Cloud releases allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via SPL. A crafted query invokes collect to write a file inside the installation, then submits that file as a serialized payload whose embedded code Splunk executes. A low-privileged Splunk Web account and enabled Splunk Web are required, and successful exploitation runs code with the Splunk process's privileges.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.90%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Untrusted deserialization in affected Splunk Enterprise and Cloud releases allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via SPL. A crafted query invokes collect to write a file inside the installation, then submits that file as a serialized payload whose embedded code Splunk executes. A low-privileged Splunk Web account and enabled Splunk Web are required, and successful exploitation runs code with the Splunk process's privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-40595
Published
Aug 30, 2023
Updated
Feb 28, 2025
Vendor
Splunk, Inc.
Product
Splunk Enterprise
Classifications
CWE-502, CAPEC-586, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 30, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 28, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=8.2 <8.2.12
  2. Affected versionversion=9.0 <9.0.6
  3. Affected versionversion=9.1 <9.1.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Splunk, Inc. · Splunk Enterpriseversion=8.2 <8.2.12; version=9.0 <9.0.6; version=9.1 <9.1.1
Splunk, Inc. · Splunk Cloud Platformversion=- <9.0.2305.200

Published CVSS scores

8.8SplunkCVSS: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.

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-502Deserialization of Untrusted Data
CAPEC-586Object Injection
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

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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