# CVE-2023-27573: Hardcoded credentials in netbox-docker

> NetBox Docker containers ship with default superuser credentials and API tokens, allowing attackers to gain administrative access if users fail to change them.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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:** 11 Mar 2026
- **Updated:** 11 Mar 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vf6r-c2jr-9wjq

## What is CVE-2023-27573?

CVE-2023-27573 is a critical vulnerability in netbox-community netbox-docker, published on 11 Mar 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

netbox-docker before 2.5.0 has a superuser account with default credentials (admin password for the admin account, and 0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567 value for SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN). In practice on the public Internet, almost all users changed the password but only about 90% changed the token. Having a default token value was intentional and was valuable for the main intended use case of the netbox-docker product (isolated development networks). Some users engaged in an effort to repurpose netbox-docker for production. The documentation for this effort stated that the defaults must not be used. However, installation did not ensure non-default values. The Supplier was aware of the CVE ID assignment and did not object to the assignment.

Weakness: CWE-798 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials), CWE-1392 (Use of Default Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-27573?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Netboxlabs Netbox-Docker.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-27573?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-27573 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-27573 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-27573 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-27573 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-27573 is a critical vulnerability in netbox-community netbox-docker, published on 11 Mar 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-27573 exists.

Affected product: netbox-community netbox-docker. 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-2023-27573/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27573/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-27573
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-27573
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-27573

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-27573/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.