CVE-2023-28093
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 · uneditedA user with a compromised configuration can start an unsigned binary as a service.
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 · moderate confidenceThis vulnerability allows a user with a compromised configuration to execute an unsigned binary as a service, potentially leading to privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution with service-level privileges. The core issue appears to be insufficient validation of executables before service instantiation.
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>= 3.1.1, < 3.1.30CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
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.
-
Identify if Pega Synchronization Engine is installedLook for the Pega Synchronization Engine installation directory or check for related processes/services running on the system. Common paths may include C:\Program Files\Pega or installation-specific directories.Affected if Pega Synchronization Engine is present on the system
-
Determine the installed versionLocate the version file or check the product properties within the Pega Synchronization Engine installation directory. Look for a version manifest or about file that displays the exact build version.Affected if The installed version falls within >= 3.1.1 and < 3.1.30
-
Review service configuration policiesExamine the Pega Synchronization Engine configuration files for service creation settings. Look for policies controlling whether executables must be signed before being allowed to run as services. Check configuration files named prconfig.xml, prbootstrap.properties, or similar in the Pega configuration directory.Affected if Code signing validation is disabled or not enforced in the service configuration
-
Check service creation permissionsIdentify which users or groups have permissions to create or modify services within the Pega Synchronization Engine. Review access control lists or role-based configurations that govern service instantiation.Affected if Non-administrator users have permissions to create or configure services
-
Inspect existing service definitionsReview any configured services within Pega Synchronization Engine for executables that may be unsigned. Check service configuration files for paths to executable binaries and verify if those binaries have valid digital signatures.Affected if Any service is configured to run an unsigned executable
A system is affected if Pega Synchronization Engine version 3.1.1 through 3.1.29 is installed AND service creation or configuration capabilities exist for users who should not have such permissions, or if unsigned executables are configured to run as services.
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 · scoped3.1.30
Review and harden service configuration policies to enforce code signing requirements and validate all executables before allowing them to run as services. Restrict service creation permissions to authorized administrators only.
3.1.30
- Log in to the Pega support portal at support.pega.com
- Navigate to the Synchronization Engine product downloads section
- Download version 3.1.30 or later
- Review upgrade documentation for Synchronization Engine
- Execute the upgrade following standard Pega upgrade procedures
- Verify that certificate validation is properly enforced after upgrade
- Confirm that unsigned binaries can no longer be started as a service
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-28093 — 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-2023-28093 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
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.
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.
- 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