# CVE-2023-46214: Remote code execution (RCE) in Splunk Enterprise through Insecure XML Parsing

> Attackers can achieve remote code execution on Splunk Enterprise by uploading malicious XSLT files due to insecure XML parsing.

- **Severity:** High 8.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 16 Dec 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mwwq-v92j-38xr

## What is CVE-2023-46214?

CVE-2023-46214 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splunk Splunk, published on 16 Nov 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

In Splunk Enterprise versions below 9.0.7 and 9.1.2, Splunk Enterprise does not safely sanitize extensible stylesheet language transformations (XSLT) that users supply. This means that an attacker can upload malicious XSLT which can result in remote code execution on the Splunk Enterprise instance.

Weakness: CWE-91 (XML Injection)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-46214?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Splunk Cloud, Splunk Splunk.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-46214?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-46214 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-46214 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-46214 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Splunk Authenticated XSLT Upload RCE (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in Splunk Splunk

- [CVE-2024-36982](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36982/): Denial of Service through null pointer reference in “cluster/config” REST endpoint (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2024-36989](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36989/): Low-privileged user could create notifications in Splunk Web Bulletin Messages (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-23675](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-23675/): Splunk App Key Value Store (KV Store) Improper Handling of Permissions Leads to KV Store Collection Deletion (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-36986](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36986/): Risky command safeguards bypass through Search ID query in Analytics Workspace (medium 6.3)
- [CVE-2023-46213](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46213/): Cross-site Scripting (XSS) on “Show Syntax Highlighted” View in Search Page (medium 4.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-46214 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-46214 is a high-severity vulnerability in Splunk Splunk, published on 16 Nov 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-46214 exists.

Affected product: Splunk Splunk. 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-2023-46214/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46214/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46214
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46214
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-46214

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46214/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.