CVE-2023-29450
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 · uneditedJavaScript pre-processing can be used by the attacker to gain access to the file system (read-only access on behalf of user "zabbix") on the Zabbix Server or Zabbix Proxy, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data.
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 confidenceIn Zabbix Server and Zabbix Proxy, the JavaScript pre-processing feature contains a vulnerability allowing authenticated attackers to read files from the file system accessible to the zabbix user. This occurs through manipulation of JavaScript preprocessing functionality, enabling read-only access to sensitive files that the zabbix service account can read.
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<= 5.0.33>= 6.0.0, <= 6.0.15>= 6.4.0, <= 6.4.1>= 6.4.3, <= 6.4.4CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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.
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Check Zabbix Server or Proxy versionRun 'zabbix_server -V' or 'zabbix_proxy -V' to display the version. Alternatively, check the version through the web interface at Reports > System information, or look at the installed package version using the system package manager (dpkg -l zabbix-server or rpm -qi zabbix-server).Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: <= 5.0.33, >= 6.0.0 to <= 6.0.15, >= 6.4.0 to <= 6.4.1, or >= 6.4.3 to <= 6.4.4.
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Identify if JavaScript preprocessing is enabledIn the Zabbix web interface, navigate to Administration > General > Preprocessing. Look for the 'JavaScript' preprocessing option in the type dropdown when editing item prototypes or items. Alternatively, query the database: SELECT itemid, key_, preprocessing FROM items WHERE preprocessing LIKE '%JavaScript%';Affected if JavaScript preprocessing options are available or present in any item configurations.
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Locate items using JavaScript preprocessingQuery the database directly: SELECT itemid, hostid, key_, name FROM items WHERE JSON_CONTAINS(preprocessing, '{"type": 21}') OR preprocessing LIKE '%type":21%'; where type 21 corresponds to JavaScript preprocessing in Zabbix.Affected if Any items exist with JavaScript preprocessing type (type 21) configured.
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Check for sensitive file exposure via JavaScriptReview any existing JavaScript preprocessing scripts for file system access patterns. Look for references to 'read', 'file', 'fs', or similar file system interaction functions. Query database for itemid and preprocessing details containing these patterns.Affected if JavaScript preprocessing code contains file read operations or references to sensitive system files.
You are affected if your Zabbix Server or Proxy version is within the affected ranges AND JavaScript preprocessing is actively used in your item configurations, allowing an authenticated attacker with access to create or modify items to read files accessible to the zabbix system user.
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 · scopedUpdate Zabbix Server and Zabbix Proxy to the patched version addressing CVE-2023-29450. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict or disable JavaScript preprocessing items and review file system permissions on the zabbix service account.
Zabbix 5.0.34 / 6.0.16 / 6.4.5 (or later stable releases)
- 1. Identify the current Zabbix version in use (Server and Proxy components) by checking the Zabbix agent or web interface.
- 2. For Zabbix 5.0.x installations: Upgrade to Zabbix 5.0.34 or later.
- 3. For Zabbix 6.0.x installations: Upgrade to Zabbix 6.0.16 or later.
- 4. For Zabbix 6.4.x installations: Upgrade to Zabbix 6.4.5 or later.
- 5. After upgrading, verify the Zabbix Server and Proxy services are running correctly.
- 6. Test that existing monitoring and preprocessing scripts continue to function as expected.
- 7. Review Zabbix user permissions and preprocessing steps to ensure only authorized users can configure JavaScript preprocessing.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-29450 — 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-2023-29450 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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