CVE-2023-40596 Splunk Enterprise on Windows Privilege Escalation due to Insecure OPENSSLDIR Build Definition Reference in DLL
An attacker can achieve privilege escalation on Windows by exploiting an insecure DLL path reference in Splunk Enterprise.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2023-40596?
CVE-2023-40596 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splunk Splunk, published on 30 Aug 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In Splunk Enterprise versions earlier than 8.2.12, 9.0.6, and 9.1.1, a dynamic link library (DLL) that ships with Splunk Enterprise references an insecure path for the OPENSSLDIR build definition. An attacker can abuse this reference and subsequently install malicious code to achieve privilege escalation on the Windows machine.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-40596?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Splunk Splunk.
How do I fix CVE-2023-40596?
No fix has been published for CVE-2023-40596 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2023-40596 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-40596 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Splunk Splunk
- CVE-2026-20253 Splunk Enterprise Missing Authentication for Critical Function
- CVE-2026-76268 Missing Authentication for Critical Function in the Patroni REST API in Splunk Enterprise
- CVE-2026-76284 Improper Neutralization in Splunk Enterprise
- CVE-2026-76285 Improper Adherence to Coding Standards in Splunk Enterprise
- CVE-2017-17067 Auth bypass in n/a
Sources
Also known as GHSA-mwr4-hjv7-wjrh.