CVE-2023-35866
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 · uneditedIn KeePassXC through 2.7.5, a local attacker can make changes to the Database security settings, including master password and second-factor authentication, within an authenticated KeePassXC Database session, without the need to authenticate these changes by entering the password and/or second-factor authentication to confirm changes. NOTE: the vendor's position is "asking the user for their password prior to making any changes to the database settings adds no additional protection against a local attacker."
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 KeePassXC through 2.7.5, an authenticated local user can modify database security settings (master password, key file, YubiKey 2FA) without re-entering credentials to confirm changes. The application relies solely on the initial unlock authentication without requiring re-authentication for sensitive configuration changes.
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<= 2.7.5CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 if KeePassXC is installedOn Linux: check for /usr/bin/keepassxc or run 'which keepassxc'. On Windows: check Program Files for KeePassXC folder or check Start Menu. On macOS: check /Applications for KeePassXC.appAffected if KeePassXC is present on the system
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Determine installed KeePassXC versionOn Linux: run 'keepassxc --version' or check package manager (dpkg -l keepassxc, rpm -qi keepassxc). On Windows: right-click KeePassXC.exe, select Properties, check Details tab for File Version. On macOS: right-click KeePassXC.app, Get Info, check version fieldAffected if Version is 2.7.5 or lower
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Verify database file presenceSearch for .kdbx files on the system: on Linux/macOS use 'find ~ -name "*.kdbx" 2>/dev/null'. On Windows use File Explorer search for *.kdbx in user directoriesAffected if User stores sensitive password databases in KeePassXC format
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Check for unlocked database sessionsReview active KeePassXC processes: on Linux/macOS run 'ps aux | grep -i keepassxc'. On Windows open Task Manager and look for KeePassXC.exe processesAffected if KeePassXC is currently running with a database unlocked, allowing modification of security settings without re-authentication
A user is affected if they run KeePassXC version 2.7.5 or lower and have an unlocked database session where security settings could be modified without requiring the master password or key file re-entry.
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 to the patched KeePassXC version when available. Restrict local physical and console access to machines running KeePassXC to limit the attack surface for local attackers.
- Be aware that KeePassXC <= 2.7.5 does not re-authenticate when modifying database security settings (master password, key file, YubiKey) within an active session
- Treat the database as potentially compromised if the device has been left unattended while unlocked
- Lock the database (Ctrl+L) when stepping away from the device
- Use KeePassXC's auto-lock feature: configure timeout under Tools > Settings > Security > Lock database after inactivity
- Ensure physical security of the machine running KeePassXC to mitigate local attacker scenario
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-35866 — 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-2023-35866 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data