CVE-2023-34402
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 · uneditedMercedes-Benz head-unit NTG6 contains functions to import or export profile settings over USB. Inside file is encapsulate another file, which service will drop during processing. Due to missed checks, attacker can achieve Arbitrary File Write with service speech rights.
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 confidenceThe NTG6 head-unit's USB profile import feature processes files containing encapsulated files without proper path or content validation. An attacker can craft a malicious file that, when processed, writes an arbitrary file to an arbitrary location on the filesystem with the privileges of the speech service, potentially leading to privilege escalation or system compromise.
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<= 2021CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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.
-
Identify the head unit modelLocate the head unit in the vehicle and verify it is an NTG6 (Mercedes Benz User Experience) model. This may be found in the vehicle's system information, service documentation, or by physically inspecting the unit for NTG6 branding.Affected if The vehicle is not equipped with an NTG6 head unit, then this specific CVE does not apply.
-
Check the firmware versionAccess the head unit's system settings or service mode to retrieve the firmware version information. Compare the installed version against the 2021 release. On NTG6 systems, this is typically found under Settings > System > Info or through dealer-level diagnostic tools.Affected if The firmware version is newer than 2021, the system is not affected by this specific vulnerability.
-
Verify USB profile import feature availabilityCheck whether the USB profile import functionality exists and is accessible on the head unit. This feature allows importing configuration files from USB storage. Access the media or settings menu and look for options related to profile import or USB configuration.Affected if The USB profile import feature is not present or has been disabled through vehicle configuration, the attack surface for this vulnerability does not exist.
-
Assess USB port accessibilityDetermine if USB ports on the head unit are accessible for connecting external devices. Inspect the front panel and any connected USB hubs to confirm physical access is possible to the USB profile import feature.Affected if USB ports are physically blocked, disabled in vehicle settings, or not accessible to users, the exploitation vector is not available.
A vehicle is affected if it contains an NTG6 head unit with firmware from 2021 or earlier, where the USB profile import feature is accessible and USB devices can be connected to the head unit.
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.
From vendor dataThis is a firmware-level vulnerability requiring an update from Mercedes-Benz. Users should avoid connecting untrusted USB devices to the head unit until a vendor patch is available. Network segmentation of vehicle systems can limit blast radius.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,096.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-34402 — 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-2023-34402 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
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.
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.
- 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