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Axis OsOperating system · Axis

CVE-2023-21417

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.80.49 / 10.12.208 or later.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable 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
Sandro Poppi, member of the AXIS OS Bug Bounty Program, has found that the VAPIX API manageoverlayimage.cgi was vulnerable to path traversal attacks that allows for file/folder deletion. This flaw can only be exploited after authenticating with an operator- or administrator- privileged service account. The impact of exploiting this vulnerability is lower with operator service accounts and limited to non-system files compared to administrator-privileges. Axis has released patched AXIS OS versions for the highlighted flaw. Please refer to the Axis security advisory for more information and solution.

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

A path traversal vulnerability in the AXIS VAPIX API's manageoverlayimage.cgi allows authenticated operator or administrator users to delete arbitrary files and folders on the device by manipulating file paths in requests.

MitigationApply the patched AXIS OS versions released by Axis; until patched, limit access to the VAPIX API to trusted administrator accounts only and monitor for suspicious file deletion activity.

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
Axis OsOperating system
Affected:< 11.7.57
Axis Os 2020Operating system
Affected:< 9.80.49
Axis Os 2022Operating system
Affected:< 10.12.208

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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. Identify the device as an Axis network product
    Check the device's web interface, DHCP fingerprint, or SNMP sysDescr for 'Axis' or 'AXIS' branding. The VAPIX API is specific to Axis devices.
    Affected if The device is not an Axis product - this CVE only affects Axis devices running VAPIX API.
  2. Check the AXIS OS version
    Access the device's web interface and navigate to System > About > Firmware, or query the VAPIX API endpoint /axis-cgi/admin/firmware.cgi with a GET request to retrieve the firmware version.
    Affected if The installed version is below 11.7.57, 9.80.49, or 10.12.208 depending on the OS branch (2020, 2022, or mainline).
  3. Confirm VAPIX API is enabled
    Attempt to access the VAPIX API base URL (http(s)://<device_ip>/axis-cgi/) or check the device's network settings for 'VAPIX' or 'API' access permissions.
    Affected if The VAPIX API is disabled or inaccessible - the vulnerability requires the VAPIX API to be reachable.
  4. Verify operator or administrator accounts exist
    Check the device's user accounts via the web interface at System > Users, or query /axis-cgi/admin/param.cgi?action=list&group=root.User to list enabled accounts.
    Affected if Operator or administrator accounts are configured - the attacker needs valid credentials for these privilege levels to exploit the path traversal.
  5. Check for suspicious file deletion activity
    Review device logs at System > Events > Log for entries containing 'manageoverlayimage' or multiple rapid file deletion events, or query /axis-cgi/admin/systemlog.cgi.
    Affected if Logs show unexpected manageoverlayimage.cgi requests or unusual file deletion operations from unexpected IP addresses.

A user is affected if they have an Axis device running a vulnerable AXIS OS version (below the patched releases) with the VAPIX API accessible and operator/administrator accounts configured.

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 9.80.49 / 10.12.208 / 11.7.57 or later
Fixed in 9.80.4910.12.20811.7.57
Interim mitigation

Apply the patched AXIS OS versions released by Axis; until patched, limit access to the VAPIX API to trusted administrator accounts only and monitor for suspicious file deletion activity.

Recommended fix High confidence

Axis OS: 11.7.57+ | Axis OS 2020: 9.80.49+ | Axis OS 2022: 10.12.208+

  1. 1. Identify the current Axis OS version by accessing the device web interface or using VAPIX API
  2. 2. Determine the product line (Axis OS, Axis OS 2020, or Axis OS 2022) to select the appropriate fixed version
  3. 3. Download the firmware update from the official Axis website or Axis support portal
  4. 4. Access the device as administrator through the web interface
  5. 5. Navigate to the System > Maintenance or Settings > System > Firmware section
  6. 6. Upload and install the appropriate fixed firmware version: 11.7.57 or later for Axis OS, 9.80.49 or later for Axis OS 2020, or 10.12.208 or later for Axis OS 2022
  7. 7. After reboot, verify the new firmware version is installed
  8. 8. Ensure all operator and administrator service accounts use strong, unique passwords to limit exploitation scope
Caveat Standard firmware upgrade - review release notes for any configuration considerations before applying

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

Fix this in Axis Os Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2023-21417 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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