dbcve.org
Powerpanel ServerApplication · Cyberpower

CVE-2023-3266

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.6.9 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
A non-feature complete authentication mechanism exists in the production application allowing an attacker to bypass all authentication checks if LDAP authentication is selected.An unauthenticated attacker can leverage this vulnerability to log in to the CypberPower PowerPanel Enterprise as an administrator by selecting LDAP authentication from a hidden HTML combo box. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability also requires the attacker to know at least one username on the device, but any password will authenticate successfully.

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 confidence

Authentication bypass vulnerability in CyberPower PowerPanel Enterprise where an incomplete LDAP authentication mechanism allows unauthenticated attackers to gain administrator access by selecting LDAP from a hidden HTML combo box. The flaw permits authentication with any valid username and arbitrary password when LDAP auth is selected.

MitigationDisable or properly implement the incomplete LDAP authentication mechanism; remove the hidden unauthenticated LDAP selection option from the UI; ensure all authentication paths validate credentials properly regardless of selected auth method.

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
Powerpanel ServerApplication
Affected:< 2.6.9

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify PowerPanel Enterprise installation and version
    Locate the PowerPanel Enterprise installation and check the installed version number. This is typically available in the application itself via About/Help menu, or in the software inventory on the server.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 2.6.9 (e.g., 2.6.8, 2.6.7, earlier versions)
  2. Confirm LDAP authentication is accessible
    Access the PowerPanel Enterprise login page and examine the authentication method selection mechanism. Look for a combo box or dropdown that allows selecting between local and LDAP authentication methods.
    Affected if The login page presents multiple authentication options including LDAP that can be selected by the user
  3. Inspect HTML source for hidden authentication elements
    View the page source or HTML of the login page and search for hidden form elements, combo box options, or UI controls related to LDAP authentication that may not be visible in the normal interface.
    Affected if Hidden or non-obvious HTML elements exist that allow LDAP authentication method selection without administrator configuration
  4. Verify LDAP authentication behavior with invalid credentials
    Using the web interface, select LDAP authentication method and attempt to log in with any valid username and an arbitrary/incorrect password.
    Affected if Authentication succeeds with any valid username and incorrect password when LDAP is selected, indicating the vulnerability is present

A user is affected if PowerPanel Enterprise version is below 2.6.9 AND the LDAP authentication option is accessible on the login page, allowing login with arbitrary passwords.

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 2.6.9 or later
Fixed in 2.6.9
Interim mitigation

Disable or properly implement the incomplete LDAP authentication mechanism; remove the hidden unauthenticated LDAP selection option from the UI; ensure all authentication paths validate credentials properly regardless of selected auth method.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Powerpanel Server 2.6.9 or later

  1. 1. Backup the current Powerpanel Server configuration and data.
  2. 2. Download Powerpanel Server version 2.6.9 or later from the official CyberPower website or authorized distribution channel.
  3. 3. Stop the Powerpanel Server service before applying the upgrade.
  4. 4. Install the updated Powerpanel Server version 2.6.9 or newer following the vendor's standard upgrade procedure.
  5. 5. Restart the Powerpanel Server service after installation completes.
  6. 6. Verify the authentication mechanism works correctly and test that LDAP authentication no longer allows bypass.
  7. 7. Confirm the installed version shows 2.6.9 or higher.
Caveat Review release notes for any configuration changes required when upgrading from older versions; LDAP settings may need revalidation

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

Fix this in Powerpanel Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get the upgrade done

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 locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-3266 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-3266 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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.

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