CVE-2023-46176

Local privilege escalation via security-key validation bypass

Published Nov 3, 2023 · Updated Sep 4, 2024

Privilege escalation in IBM MQ Appliance 9.3 CD allows local users with high privileges to gain elevated system privileges. The security-key validation path fails to apply equivalent protection when an alternate path is used, allowing a key to bypass the intended check. Exploitation requires existing high-privilege local access and can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the appliance.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in IBM MQ Appliance 9.3 CD allows local users with high privileges to gain elevated system privileges. The security-key validation path fails to apply equivalent protection when an alternate path is used, allowing a key to bypass the intended check. Exploitation requires existing high-privilege local access and can compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the appliance.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-46176
Published
Nov 3, 2023
Updated
Sep 4, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM MQ Appliance
Classifications
CWE-424, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 3, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 4, 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=9.3 CD

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

IBM · IBM MQ Applianceversion=9.3 CD

Published CVSS scores

6.7IBMCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-424Improper Protection of Alternate Path
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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