CVE-2023-1778
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 · uneditedThis vulnerability exists in GajShield Data Security Firewall firmware versions prior to v4.28 (except v4.21) due to insecure default credentials which allows remote attacker to login as superuser by using default username/password via web-based management interface and/or exposed SSH port thereby enabling remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands with administrative/superuser privileges on the targeted systems. The vulnerability has been addressed by forcing the user to change their default password to a new non-default password.
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 confidenceGajShield Data Security Firewall versions prior to v4.28 (except v4.21) contain hardcoded default credentials that allow unauthenticated remote attackers to gain superuser access via the web management interface or exposed SSH port, enabling full system compromise with arbitrary command execution privileges.
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< 4.21>= 4.22, < 4.28CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the firmware versionAccess the GajShield admin console or check system information page to find the installed firmware version. If using CLI, look for version information in the system status or about section.Affected if The installed version is less than 4.21 OR is 4.22 through any version prior to 4.28 (e.g., 4.22, 4.23, 4.24, 4.25, 4.26, 4.27)
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Verify web management interface accessibilityAttempt to access the GajShield web management interface from your network. Check if TCP port 443 or 8443 is open and responding.Affected if The web interface is accessible and you can reach the login page without network restrictions blocking it
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Check SSH access exposureVerify if TCP port 22 (or configured SSH port) on the GajShield appliance is open and accepting connections.Affected if SSH port is open and accessible from a network where unauthorized users could connect
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Test default credential viabilityAttempt to log in using the default administrative credentials. The default username is typically 'admin' or 'superadmin'. If the login succeeds without the password having been changed from factory defaults, the system is vulnerable.Affected if Default credentials (admin/superadmin with factory default password) successfully authenticate and grant administrative access
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Confirm if password was changed from defaultIf you have admin access, check whether the password has been modified from the vendor default. In the user management or admin settings, verify the last password change date or attempt to reset to confirm a custom password is in use.Affected if The administrative password remains at the vendor default setting or has never been changed since installation
Your environment is affected if the GajShield firmware version is below 4.28 (excluding 4.21) AND the default credentials have not been changed, with the management interface or SSH port accessible to potential attackers.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped4.214.28
Upgrade GajShield firmware to v4.28 or later which enforces mandatory password change from default credentials, or immediately change the default password to a strong, unique value if upgrading is not immediately feasible.
GajShield Data Security Firewall firmware v4.28 or later
- Ensure you have physical or console access to the GajShield Data Security Firewall device before starting the upgrade process
- Backup the current firewall configuration and any critical data
- Download the firmware version 4.28 or later from the official GajShield vendor source (www.cert-in.org.in references the official fix)
- Access the web-based management interface or console
- Upload and apply the firmware version 4.28 upgrade file
- Allow the device to reboot and complete the upgrade process
- On first login after upgrade, the system will force you to change the default password to a new non-default password
- Choose a strong, unique password that meets complexity requirements
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-1778 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-1778 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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