# CVE-2023-53908: HiSecOS 04.0.01 Privilege Escalation via User Role Modification

> Authenticated users can escalate privileges to administrative level by sending crafted XML payloads to the NETCONF endpoint.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA: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:** 17 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 1 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-px84-m7h4-295j

## What is CVE-2023-53908?

CVE-2023-53908 is a high-severity vulnerability in Belden HiSecOS, published on 17 Dec 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

HiSecOS 04.0.01 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated users to modify their access role through XML-based NETCONF configuration. Attackers can send crafted XML payloads to the /mops_data endpoint with a specific role value to elevate their user privileges to administrative level.

Weakness: CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53908?


## How do I fix CVE-2023-53908?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-53908 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-53908 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53908 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-53908 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53908 is a high-severity vulnerability in Belden HiSecOS, published on 17 Dec 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53908 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Belden HiSecOS. 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-2023-53908/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53908/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53908
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53908
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53908

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53908/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.