# CVE-2023-5623: Privilege Escalation

> Low-privileged users can execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges if Nessus Network Monitor is installed in a non-standard location due to improper ACLs.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 9 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f5w9-q8fj-h9jj

## What is CVE-2023-5623?

CVE-2023-5623 is a high-severity vulnerability in Tenable Nessus Network Monitor, published on 26 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

NNM failed to properly set ACLs on its installation directory, which could allow a low privileged user to run arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges where NNM is installed to a non-standard location

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code), CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-5623?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Tenable Nessus Network Monitor.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-5623?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-5623 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-5623 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-5623 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Tenable Nessus Network Monitor

- [CVE-2024-9158](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9158/): XSS (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2025-24917](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-24917/): Improper Access Control leads to Local Privilege Escalation (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2020-5794](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5794/): Path traversal in Nessus Network Monitor (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2023-5624](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5624/): Blind SQL Injection (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2023-5622](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5622/): Privilege Escalation (high 7.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-5623 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-5623 is a high-severity vulnerability in Tenable Nessus Network Monitor, published on 26 Oct 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-2023-5623 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Tenable Nessus Network Monitor. 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-2023-5623/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5623/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5623
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5623
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-5623

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5623/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.