# CVE-2023-32338: IBM Sterling Secure Proxy information disclosure

> Local users with container access can read plain text user credentials stored by IBM Sterling Secure Proxy, leading to information disclosure.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 4 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 26 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2268-rqjm-gx38

## What is CVE-2023-32338?

CVE-2023-32338 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Sterling Secure Proxy, published on 4 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM Sterling Secure Proxy and IBM Sterling External Authentication Server 6.0.3 and 6.1.0 stores user credentials in plain clear text which can be read by a local user with container access.  IBM X-Force ID:  255585.

Weakness: CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-32338?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Sterling External Authentication Server, Ibm Sterling Secure Proxy.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-32338?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-32338 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-32338 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-32338 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM Sterling Secure Proxy

- [CVE-2020-4462](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4462/): XML external entity in External Authentication Server (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2013-0517](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-0517/): Command injection in Sterling External Authentication Server (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-22336](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22336/): Denial of service in Sterling Secure Proxy (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2022-22333](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-22333/): Memory corruption in Sterling Secure Proxy (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-29722](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29722/): Weak cryptography in Sterling Secure Proxy (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-32338 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-32338 is a medium-severity vulnerability in IBM Sterling Secure Proxy, published on 4 Sep 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-32338 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM Sterling Secure Proxy. 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-2023-32338/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32338/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-32338
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32338
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-32338

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32338/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.