# CVE-2023-2573: Authenticated Command Injection

> Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary commands on Advantech EKI industrial gateways via the NTP server input field.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 May 2023
- **Updated:** 13 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7cqg-75m4-9cvf

## What is CVE-2023-2573?

CVE-2023-2573 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Advantech EKI-1521, published on 8 May 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Advantech EKI-1524, EKI-1522, EKI-1521 devices through 1.21 are affected by an command injection vulnerability in the NTP server input field, which can be triggered by authenticated users via a crafted POST request.

Weakness: CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command), CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-2573?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Advantech Eki-1521 Firmware, Advantech Eki-1522 Firmware, Advantech Eki-1524 Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-2573?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-2573 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-2573 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-2573 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Advantech EKI-1521

- [CVE-2023-4202](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4202/): Stored Cross-Site Scripting (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2023-4203](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4203/): Stored Cross-Site Scripting (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2023-2574](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2574/): Authenticated Command Injection (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-2575](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2575/): Authenticated Buffer Overflow (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-2573 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-2573 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Advantech EKI-1521, published on 8 May 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-2573 exists.

Affected product: Advantech EKI-1521. 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-2023-2573/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2573/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-2573
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2573
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-2573

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-2573/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.