# CVE-2021-23173: ICSMA-22-006-01 Philips Engage Software

> An authenticated user can exploit improper access controls to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data in Philips Engage Software.

- **Severity:** Low 2.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 16 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c779-gmgx-23pc

## What is CVE-2021-23173?

CVE-2021-23173 is a low-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Philips Engage Software, published on 7 Jan 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The affected product is vulnerable to an improper access control, which may allow an authenticated user to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-23173?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Philips Engage.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-23173?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-23173 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-23173 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-23173 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-23173 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-23173 is a low-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Philips Engage Software, published on 7 Jan 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-23173 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Philips Engage Software. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23173/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23173/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-23173
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-23173
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-23173

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-23173/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.