CVE-2023-34388
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 · uneditedAn Improper Authentication vulnerability in the Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories SEL-451 could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to potentially perform session hijacking attack and bypass authentication. See product Instruction Manual Appendix A dated 20230830 for more details.
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 confidenceThe SEL-451 protection relay contains an improper authentication vulnerability that allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to bypass authentication mechanisms and potentially perform session hijacking. This critical flaw in the authentication logic could allow an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the device and potentially modify protection settings or disrupt grid operations.
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>= r315-v0, < r315-v4>= r316-v0, < r316-v4>= r317-v0, < r317-v4>= r318-v0, < r318-v5>= r320-v0, < r320-v3>= r321-v0, < r321-v3>= r322-v0, < r322-v3>= r323-v0, < r323-v5>= r324-v0, < r324-v4>= r325-v0, < r325-v3= r326-v0= r327-v0CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check the SEL-451 firmware versionAccess the SEL-451 web interface and navigate to the Device Information or Status page, or use the SEL AcSELerator software to query the device for its firmware version string (for example, display the firmware version shown as rXXX-vY)Affected if The displayed firmware version falls within any of these ranges: r315-v0 to r315-v3, r316-v0 to r316-v3, r317-v0 to r317-v3, r318-v0 to r318-v4, r320-v0 to r320-v2, r321-v0 to r321-v2, r322-v0 to r322-v2, r323-v0 to r323-v4, r324-v0 to r324-v3, r325-v0 to r325-v2, or is exactly r326-v0 or r327-v0
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Verify network accessibility of the deviceDetermine if the SEL-451 management interface (web server or telnet) is reachable from untrusted networks by reviewing firewall rules, performing a port scan from an external location, or checking network segmentation configurationsAffected if The SEL-451 is directly accessible from the internet, a corporate network, or any network segment that contains untrusted devices without being protected by a firewall or DMZ
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Confirm authentication interface is exposedCheck if the SEL-451 HTTP/HTTPS management port (typically port 80/443) or telnet port is open and responding by attempting a connection from a non-trusted network segmentAffected if The authentication web portal or login prompt is reachable from an untrusted network without VPN or firewall filtering
The device is affected if the installed firmware version is within any of the listed affected version ranges AND the device management interface is accessible from an untrusted network segment.
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 firmware update referenced in SEL Instruction Manual Appendix A (20230830) and restrict network access to the SEL-451 by placing it behind a firewall or in a dedicated industrial DMZ.
Upgrade to r315-v4 or later, r316-v4 or later, r317-v4 or later, or r318-v5 or later (preferably r318-v5 as the latest fixed release)
- Identify the current firmware version of the SEL-451 device by accessing the device interface or checking the system information
- Navigate to the SEL (Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories) official support website at selinc.com
- Locate the SEL-451 firmware download section and obtain the appropriate fixed firmware version for your current branch
- Download the firmware file (e.g., r315-v4, r316-v4, r317-v4, or r318-v5 depending on your current version branch)
- Follow the SEL-451 firmware upgrade procedure documented in the product instruction manual
- Apply the firmware upgrade to the SEL-451 device
- After upgrade, verify the device is running the fixed firmware version and confirm normal operation
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $12,352.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-34388 — 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-2023-34388 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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