# CVE-2023-5909: Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch in PTC KEPServerEx

> Improper certificate validation in PTC KEPServerEX allows unauthenticated users to connect, bypassing security controls in industrial environments.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 30 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 25 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-rw69-wr48-w7px

## What is CVE-2023-5909?

CVE-2023-5909 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in GE Gigital Industrial Gateway Server, published on 30 Nov 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

KEPServerEX does not properly validate certificates from clients which may allow unauthenticated users to connect.

Weakness: CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation), CWE-297 (Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-5909?

It affects 8 products.


Products: Ge Industrial Gateway Server, Ptc Keepserverex, Ptc Opc-Aggregator, Ptc Thingworx Industrial Connectivity, Ptc Thingworx Kepware Edge, Ptc Thingworx Kepware Server, Rockwellautomation Kepserver Enterprise, Softwaretoolbox Top Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-5909?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-5909 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-5909 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-5909 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in GE Gigital Industrial Gateway Server

- [CVE-2022-2825](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2825/): Memory corruption in KEPServerEX (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-27265](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27265/): Memory corruption in PTC Kepware KEPServerEX; ThingWorx Industrial Connectivity; OPC-Aggregator; Rockwell Automation KEPServer Enterprise; GE Digital Industrial Gateway Server; Software Toolbox TOP Server (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-5908](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5908/): Heap Based Buffer Overflow in PTC KEPServerEx (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2022-2848](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2848/): Memory corruption in KEPServerEX (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2020-27263](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-27263/): Memory corruption in GE Digital Industrial Gateway Server (critical 9.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-5909 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-5909 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in GE Gigital Industrial Gateway Server, published on 30 Nov 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-5909 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: GE Gigital Industrial Gateway Server. 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-2023-5909/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5909/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5909
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5909
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-5909

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5909/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.