CVE-2023-28505
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 · uneditedRocket Software UniData versions prior to 8.2.4 build 3003 and UniVerse versions prior to 11.3.5 build 1001 or 12.2.1 build 2002 suffer from a buffer overflow in an API function, where a string is copied into a caller-provided buffer without checking the length. This requires a valid login to exploit.
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 confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Rocket Software UniData and UniVerse database products. An API function copies a string into a caller-provided buffer without validating the length first, potentially allowing authenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service.
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<= 8.2.4<= 11.3.5>= 12.0.0, <= 12.2.1CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if UniData or UniVerse is installedLook for Rocket Software database processes running on the system, or check common installation directories such as /opt/rocket, /usr/uv, or C:\Program Files\Rocket Software. On Windows, check Add/Remove Programs for Rocket UniData or UniVerse entries.Affected if The product is not found or no Rocket database software is installed.
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Determine the installed UniData versionRun the command 'ud -version' or check the UniData version file typically located in the installation directory (e.g., version.txt or about.html in the installation path). On Windows, right-click the UniData program in Start menu and select Properties to view version information.Affected if UniData version is 8.2.4 or lower.
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Determine the installed UniVerse versionRun the command 'uv -version' or check the UniVerse version file typically located in the installation directory. On Windows, right-click the UniVerse program in Start menu and select Properties to view version information.Affected if UniVerse version is 11.3.5 or lower, OR between 12.0.0 and 12.2.1 inclusive.
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Verify if the API service is exposedCheck if network API listeners are enabled (typically port 31438 for UniData or 31439 for UniVerse). Review configuration files in the etc/ or config/ subdirectory of the installation for API-enabled settings. Look for active listening services using 'netstat' or 'ss' commands.Affected if The API service is disabled and no custom API implementations are using the vulnerable function.
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Confirm authentication access existsVerify that user accounts exist in the UniData/UniVerse security system. The vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker, so check if the system has active user accounts configured and remote authentication is permitted.Affected if No user accounts are configured and no authentication mechanism is enabled.
You are affected if UniData version is 8.2.4 or lower, or UniVerse version is 11.3.5 or lower, or between 12.0.0 and 12.2.1 inclusive, and the API function is in use with authenticated access enabled.
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 · scopedApply the vendor-supplied patches by upgrading to UniData 8.2.4 build 3003 or later, or UniVerse 11.3.5 build 1001/12.2.1 build 2002 or later. Implement input validation on API calls as an additional defense-in-depth measure.
UniData 8.2.4 build 3003 or later; UniVerse 11.3.5 build 1001 or later; UniVerse 12.2.1 build 2002 or later
- Identify your current UniData or UniVerse version and build number using the version command or system utilities
- For UniData users: Upgrade to version 8.2.4 build 3003 or later
- For UniVerse users on 11.x branch: Upgrade to version 11.3.5 build 1001 or later
- For UniVerse users on 12.x branch: Upgrade to version 12.2.1 build 2002 or later
- After upgrading, verify the new version and build number match the fixed releases
- Test critical API functions that involve string handling to confirm the fix is effective
- Ensure any custom applications using the affected API function are tested with the new version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-28505 — 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-2023-28505 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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