CVE-2023-27535: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-q9fm-68jc-87x3
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-287 CWE-305
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-27535 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2023-27535 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-27535
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q9fm-68jc-87x3
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2023-27535

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-27535, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in libcurl <8.0.0 in the FTP connection reuse feature that can result in wrong credentials being used during subsequent transfers. Previously created connections are kept in a connection pool for reuse if they match the current setup. However, certain FTP settings such as CURLOPT_FTP_ACCOUNT, CURLOPT_FTP_ALTERNATIVE_TO_USER, CURLOPT_FTP_SSL_CCC, and CURLOPT_USE_SSL were not included in the configuration match checks, causing them to match too easily. This could lead to libcurl using the wrong credentials when performing a transfer, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information.

References

NVD — CVE-2023-27535 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-27535
hackerone.com/reports/1892780 WEB
https://hackerone.com/reports/1892780
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ss... WEB
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ss... WEB
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-806742.html
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ss... WEB
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-943925.html
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/04/msg00025.html
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/36NBD5YLJXXEDZLDGNFCERWRYJQ6LAQW
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/36NBD5YLJXXEDZLDGNFCERWRYJQ6LAQW
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-12
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230420-0010

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-27535?
CVE-2023-27535 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2023-27535?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-27535?
CVE-2023-27535 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-27535?
CVE-2023-27535 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-27535?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
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  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-q9fm-68jc-87x3",
  "modified" : "2026-10-15T00:30:38Z",
  "published" : "2023-03-30T21:30:21Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-27535" ],
  "details" : "An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in libcurl <8.0.0 in the FTP connection reuse feature that can result in wrong credentials being used during subsequent transfers. Previously created connections are kept in a connection pool for reuse if they match the current setup. However, certain FTP settings such as CURLOPT_FTP_ACCOUNT, CURLOPT_FTP_ALTERNATIVE_TO_USER, CURLOPT_FTP_SSL_CCC, and CURLOPT_USE_SSL were not included in the configuration match checks, causing them to match too easily. This could lead to libcurl using the wrong credentials when performing a transfer, potentially allowing unauthorized access to sensitive information.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-27535"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://hackerone.com/reports/1892780"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-806742.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-943925.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/04/msg00025.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/36NBD5YLJXXEDZLDGNFCERWRYJQ6LAQW"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
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  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
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    "type" : "WEB",
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  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
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    "severity" : "HIGH",
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    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-03-30T20:15:00Z"
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}