CVE-2023-4162

Switch crash via unchecked passwdcfg return value

Published Aug 31, 2023 · Updated Sep 30, 2024

Unchecked return-value handling in the passwdcfg CLI of Brocade Fabric OS after 9.0 and before 9.2.0a allows privileged local users to crash a switch. The passwdcfg option-handling path fails to check a return value while processing --set -expire -minDiff, leading to a segmentation fault. Administrative CLI access is required, and successful triggering interrupts availability by crashing the affected Fibre Channel switch.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Unchecked return-value handling in the passwdcfg CLI of Brocade Fabric OS after 9.0 and before 9.2.0a allows privileged local users to crash a switch. The passwdcfg option-handling path fails to check a return value while processing --set -expire -minDiff, leading to a segmentation fault. Administrative CLI access is required, and successful triggering interrupts availability by crashing the affected Fibre Channel switch.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-4162
Published
Aug 31, 2023
Updated
Sep 30, 2024
Vendor
Brocade Communications Systems
Product
Fabric OS
Classifications
CWE-252, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 31, 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=Brocade Fabric OS after Brocade Fabric OS v9.0 and before Brocade Fabric OS v9.2.0a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Brocade Communications Systems · Fabric OSversion=Brocade Fabric OS after Brocade Fabric OS v9.0 and before Brocade Fabric OS v9.2.0a

Published CVSS scores

4.4Brocade Communications Systems, LLCCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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.

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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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-252Unchecked Return Value
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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