dbcve.org
OtrsApplication

CVE-2023-1250

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.0.42 / 8.0.31 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Improper Input Validation vulnerability in OTRS AG OTRS (ACL modules), OTRS AG ((OTRS)) Community Edition (ACL modules) allows Local Execution of Code. When creating/importing an ACL it was possible to inject code that gets executed via manipulated comments and ACL-names This issue affects OTRS: from 7.0.X before 7.0.42, from 8.0.X before 8.0.31; ((OTRS)) Community Edition: from 6.0.1 through 6.0.34.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Improper input validation in the ACL (Access Control List) module of OTRS allows authenticated attackers to inject and execute malicious code through manipulated comments and ACL names when creating or importing ACLs. This is a code injection vulnerability enabling local code execution with the privileges of the OTRS application.

MitigationUpgrade OTRS to version 7.0.42+, 8.0.31+, or OTRS Community Edition 6.0.35+. Until patched, restrict ACL management to highly trusted administrators and audit existing ACL configurations for suspicious injected content.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OtrsApplication
Affected:>= 6.0.1, <= 6.0.34>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.42>= 8.0.0, < 8.0.31

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check installed OTRS version
    Run the OTRS system information command or check the version file in the OTRS installation directory. Common methods: accessing Admin > System Administration > System Information in the web interface, or checking /opt/otrs/RELEASE file if installed via package.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 6.0.1-6.0.34, 7.0.0-7.0.41, or 8.0.0-8.0.30 (unpatched) and is older than the fixed versions 7.0.42, 8.0.31, or 6.0.35.
  2. Verify ACL module is enabled
    Check the OTRS configuration file (Kernel/Config.pm) or access Admin > Access Control Lists (ACL) in the web interface. Confirm whether ACL functionality has been configured or activated in the system.
    Affected if The ACL module is actively configured or accessible in the OTRS instance.
  3. Inspect existing ACL configurations for injected code
    Navigate to Admin > Access Control Lists and review all ACL entries. Examine the ACL names and comments fields for unusual patterns such as shell commands, script tags, semicolons followed by commands, backticks, or other code-like syntax that does not belong to legitimate ACL naming conventions.
    Affected if Any ACL entry contains suspicious code patterns or unexpected characters in the name or comment fields that suggest injection attempts.
  4. Review ACL import activity logs
    Check OTRS system logs (Admin > Log) and audit logs for events related to ACL creation, modification, or import. Look for entries indicating recent ACL imports or changes, especially from unexpected users or at unusual times.
    Affected if There are recent ACL import or creation events that correspond to the timeframe when the vulnerable version was in use, particularly from untrusted administrator accounts.

You are affected if your OTRS version is in the vulnerable range (6.0.x up to 6.0.34, 7.0.x up to 7.0.41, or 8.0.x up to 8.0.30) and the ACL feature is enabled or has been used in your environment.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.0.42 / 8.0.31 or later
Fixed in 7.0.428.0.31
Interim mitigation

Upgrade OTRS to version 7.0.42+, 8.0.31+, or OTRS Community Edition 6.0.35+. Until patched, restrict ACL management to highly trusted administrators and audit existing ACL configurations for suspicious injected content.

Recommended fix High confidence

OTRS 7.0.42+ or 8.0.31+ (depending on your current major version)

  1. 1. Identify the current OTRS installation version by checking the system information or the version file.
  2. 2. For OTRS 7.0.x versions (< 7.0.42): Upgrade to OTRS 7.0.42 or later.
  3. 3. For OTRS 8.0.x versions (< 8.0.31): Upgrade to OTRS 8.0.31 or later.
  4. 4. For ((OTRS)) Community Edition 6.0.x versions (6.0.1 through 6.0.34): Note that Community Edition support may be limited; consider upgrading to a supported OTRS version or contact vendor for specific patch availability.
  5. 5. After upgrading, verify the ACL functionality still works correctly and test that the input validation is properly sanitizing ACL names and comments.
  6. 6. Review any imported ACL configurations to ensure no malicious code was previously injected.
Caveat Review release notes for potential breaking changes between your current version and the target upgrade version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Otrs Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-1250 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-1250 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data