# CVE-2023-28801: Improper SAML signature verification

> Attackers can escalate privileges by bypassing SAML signature verification in the Zscaler Admin UI.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **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:** 31 Aug 2023
- **Updated:** 1 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wfp5-6m78-crh3

## What is CVE-2023-28801?

CVE-2023-28801 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Zscaler ZIA Admin Portal, published on 31 Aug 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature in the SAML authentication of the Zscaler Admin UI allows a Privilege Escalation.This issue affects Admin UI: from 6.2 before 6.2r.

Weakness: CWE-347 (Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-28801?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Zscaler Zscaler Internet Access Admin Portal.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-28801?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-28801 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-28801 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-28801 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Zscaler ZIA Admin Portal

- [CVE-2026-22567](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-22567/): ZIA Admin UI Input Validation Bug (high 7.6)
- [CVE-2026-22568](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-22568/): Unauthorized information retrieval in ZIA Admin UI (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-28801 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-28801 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Zscaler ZIA Admin Portal, published on 31 Aug 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-28801 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Zscaler ZIA Admin Portal. 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-2023-28801/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28801/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-28801
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28801
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28801

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28801/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.