# CVE-2023-22581: White Rabbit Switch - Unauthenticated remote code execution

> An attacker can execute arbitrary system commands with root privileges on the White Rabbit Switch due to improper input validation.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Apr 2023
- **Updated:** 11 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wrhx-52hg-crxx

## What is CVE-2023-22581?

CVE-2023-22581 is a critical command injection vulnerability in CERN White Rabbit Switch, published on 24 Apr 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

White Rabbit Switch contains a vulnerability which makes it possible for an attacker to perform system commands under the context of the web application (the default installation makes the webserver run as the root user).

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-22581?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Home.cern White Rabbit Switch Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-22581?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-22581 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-22581 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-22581 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in CERN White Rabbit Switch

- [CVE-2023-22577](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22577/): White Rabbit Switch - Password Disclosure Vulnerability (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-22581 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-22581 is a critical command injection vulnerability in CERN White Rabbit Switch, published on 24 Apr 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-22581 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: CERN White Rabbit Switch. 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-2023-22581/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22581/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-22581
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-22581
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-22581

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22581/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.