CVE-2023-40597

Code execution via unchecked absolute script path

Published Aug 30, 2023 · Updated Jul 1, 2025

Absolute path traversal in Splunk Enterprise before 8.2.12, 9.0.6, and 9.1.1 allows local users to execute code from another drive. The runshellscript.py script inadequately validates a supplied path and can execute a script from another drive's root directory. Exploitation requires write access to that drive and affects only Windows instances, where code runs in the Splunk process context.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Absolute path traversal in Splunk Enterprise before 8.2.12, 9.0.6, and 9.1.1 allows local users to execute code from another drive. The runshellscript.py script inadequately validates a supplied path and can execute a script from another drive's root directory. Exploitation requires write access to that drive and affects only Windows instances, where code runs in the Splunk process context.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-40597
Published
Aug 30, 2023
Updated
Jul 1, 2025
Vendor
Splunk, Inc.
Product
Splunk Enterprise
Classifications
CWE-36, CWE-22, T1059.006
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 30, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jul 1, 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=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 vectorlocal
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

7.8SplunkCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-36Absolute Path Traversal
CWE-22Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
T1059.006Command and Scripting Interpreter: Python

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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