dbcve.org
N CentralApplication · N Able

CVE-2023-30297

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2023.4 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
An issue found in N-able Technologies N-central Server before 2023.4 allows a local attacker to execute arbitrary code via the monitoring function of the server.

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 confidence

This is a local arbitrary code execution vulnerability in N-able N-central Server affecting versions prior to 2023.4. The vulnerability exists in the server's monitoring function and allows a local attacker with access to the system to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the N-central Server application.

MitigationUpdate N-central Server to version 2023.4 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Additionally, restrict local access to the server, follow principle of least privilege for user accounts, and monitor for suspicious local 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
N CentralApplication
Affected:< 2023.4

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify N-central Server version
    Locate and inspect the N-central Server installation to determine the currently installed version number, typically found in the server's About, System Information, or version configuration file
    Affected if The installed version is any release prior to 2023.4
  2. Verify monitoring function status
    Check whether the N-central Server monitoring function or monitoring service is currently enabled and running on the system
    Affected if The monitoring function is enabled and running
  3. Review local user access
    Examine local user accounts and their permission levels on the server system, particularly accounts with access to the N-central Server application
    Affected if Multiple local users exist with elevated privileges or access to the N-central application directory
  4. Inspect N-central application directories
    Review the file system permissions and ownership of the N-central Server installation directories and configuration files
    Affected if Directory permissions allow modification by non-administrative local users
  5. Check for unexpected processes or scheduled tasks
    Look for unfamiliar processes, services, or scheduled tasks associated with the N-central Server that may indicate code execution attempts
    Affected if Unexpected processes or scheduled tasks related to N-central are found on the system

A system is affected if it runs any version of N-central Server prior to 2023.4 with the monitoring function enabled and local attacker access is possible.

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 2023.4 or later
Fixed in 2023.4
Interim mitigation

Update N-central Server to version 2023.4 or later to obtain the vendor patch. Additionally, restrict local access to the server, follow principle of least privilege for user accounts, and monitor for suspicious local activity.

Recommended fix High confidence

N-central 2023.4

  1. Back up the N-central Server data and configuration before initiating any upgrade
  2. Download N-central version 2023.4 or later from the N-able customer portal or support site
  3. Review N-able's official upgrade documentation for N-central 2023.4 to understand prerequisites
  4. Apply the upgrade to the N-central Server following the documented upgrade procedure
  5. After upgrade completion, verify the server is running version 2023.4 or later
  6. Confirm the monitoring function is operating normally after the upgrade
Caveat Standard upgrade precautions apply - test in non-production environment first and ensure backups are verified

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

Fix this in N Central Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,808.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-30297 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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