CVE-2023-27350
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 allows remote attackers to bypass authentication on affected installations of PaperCut NG 22.0.5 (Build 63914). Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the SetupCompleted class. The issue results from improper access control. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-18987.
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 confidencePaperCut NG 22.0.5 (Build 63914) contains an improper access control vulnerability in the SetupCompleted class that allows remote unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication. This enables execution of arbitrary code with SYSTEM 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>= 8.0, < 20.1.7>= 21.0.0, < 21.2.11>= 22.0.0, < 22.0.9>= 8.0, < 20.1.7>= 21.0.0, < 21.2.11>= 22.0.0, < 22.0.9CVSS 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 installed PaperCut versionLocate the PaperCut installation directory and check the version file, or access the PaperCut admin interface and navigate to Help > About to view the version numberAffected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: >= 8.0 and < 20.1.7, or >= 21.0.0 and < 21.2.11, or >= 22.0.0 and < 22.0.9
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Verify SetupCompleted endpoint accessibilityAttempt to access the SetupCompleted endpoint via HTTP/HTTPS request to the PaperCut server (typically at a URL path containing 'SetupCompleted'), without providing any authentication credentialsAffected if The request returns a successful response or allows access without requiring authentication, indicating the vulnerability is exploitable
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Inspect for unauthorized administrative accountsIn the PaperCut admin interface, review the Users > Admin Users section, or inspect the internal database/configuration files for any unfamiliar administrative accounts or modified user privilegesAffected if New or unexpected administrative accounts exist that were not created by legitimate administrators, suggesting exploitation
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Check for unexpected scheduled tasks or scriptsOn the Windows server hosting PaperCut, review the Task Scheduler for unfamiliar scheduled tasks, and examine the PaperCut server-app directory for newly created or modified executable files or scriptsAffected if Unexpected scheduled tasks, scripts, or executables are present that align with the timeframe of potential exploitation
You are affected if your installed PaperCut NG/MF version is within the affected ranges AND the SetupCompleted endpoint can be accessed without authentication, or if unauthorized administrative activity is detected on the server.
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 · scoped20.1.721.2.1122.0.9
Apply the vendor security patch for CVE-2023-27350 to update PaperCut NG to a patched version. Until patched, restrict network exposure of PaperCut services to trusted sources only.
PaperCut MF/NG 22.0.9 (or later) - the minimum fixed version for each affected branch is 20.1.7, 21.2.11, or 22.0.9
- 1. Identify the current PaperCut MF or NG version installed by checking the server or admin interface
- 2. Download the appropriate fixed version from the official PaperCut website: 20.1.7, 21.2.11, or 22.0.9 (or later)
- 3. Backup the PaperCut installation directory and database before upgrading
- 4. Stop the PaperCut service to ensure a clean upgrade process
- 5. Run the installer for the chosen fixed version
- 6. Follow the installation wizard prompts to complete the upgrade
- 7. Restart the PaperCut service after installation completes
- 8. Verify the upgrade was successful by logging into the admin interface and checking the build version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-27350 — 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-2023-27350 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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- 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
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