CVE-2023-5847

Local privilege escalation via unsecured OpenSSL configuration

Published Nov 1, 2023 · Updated Sep 5, 2024

Improper privilege management in Tenable Nessus and Nessus Agent allows local users to execute code with SYSTEM or root privileges. During installation or upgrade, the privileged process loads an OpenSSL configuration file from an unsecured location that low-privileged users can influence. Exploitation requires existing low-privileged code execution and user interaction with an installation or upgrade on a Windows or Linux host.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper privilege management in Tenable Nessus and Nessus Agent allows local users to execute code with SYSTEM or root privileges. During installation or upgrade, the privileged process loads an OpenSSL configuration file from an unsecured location that low-privileged users can influence. Exploitation requires existing low-privileged code execution and user interaction with an installation or upgrade on a Windows or Linux host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-5847
Published
Nov 1, 2023
Updated
Sep 5, 2024
Vendor
Tenable
Product
Nessus
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 1, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 5, 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=0 <10.6.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Tenable · Nessusversion=0 <10.6.2
Tenable · Nessus Agentversion=0 <10.4.3

Published CVSS scores

6.7Tenable Network Security, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.3NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.8Tenable Network Security, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
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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