CVE-2023-42521Network attack vector

Remote scanning-engine crash via compressed-file processing

Published Sep 18, 2023 · Updated Sep 25, 2024

Denial of service in WithSecure security products allows remote attackers to crash the scanning engine by submitting a compressed file. The scanning engine processes attacker-supplied compressed-file content in a way that terminates the engine; WithSecure has not disclosed the faulty parser operation. No authentication or user interaction is required, and the documented consequence is an availability-only scanning-engine crash.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.52%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in WithSecure security products allows remote attackers to crash the scanning engine by submitting a compressed file. The scanning engine processes attacker-supplied compressed-file content in a way that terminates the engine; WithSecure has not disclosed the faulty parser operation. No authentication or user interaction is required, and the documented consequence is an availability-only scanning-engine crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-42521
Published
Sep 18, 2023
Updated
Sep 25, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-400, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 18, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 25, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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