CVE-2023-36860
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 · uneditedImproper input validation for some Intel Unison software may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via network access.
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 confidenceIntel Unison software contains an improper input validation vulnerability that allows an authenticated user to escalate privileges via network access. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, enabling a user with valid credentials to elevate their privileges to a higher level.
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< 20.14.5683.0< 20.14.4244< 20.14.2.3053CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Verify Intel Unison is installedCheck for Intel Unison installation via Windows Registry at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall or look for Unison.exe in Program Files, or run 'Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product' to list installed applications and filter for UnisonAffected if Intel Unison software is present on the system
-
Determine installed Intel Unison versionRight-click Unison.exe, select Properties, then Details to view File Version, or query the Windows Registry key where the version is stored during installationAffected if The version number is lower than 20.14.5683.0, or lower than 20.14.4244, or lower than 20.14.2.3053 (compare your version to these three thresholds)
-
Confirm network-accessible Unison serviceCheck if Unison service is listening on network ports (use 'netstat -an' to list active connections and listening ports, or check Windows Services for Unison-related services set to start automatically)Affected if Unison exposes a network service accessible from other systems
-
Check for multiple user accounts or privilege rolesReview Unison user configuration or Active Directory/Windows local users to determine if more than one user account exists with Unison access, and identify if different privilege levels are defined within UnisonAffected if Multiple authenticated users exist with different privilege levels in the Unison environment
-
Verify authentication is enabled for network Unison accessInspect Unison service configuration or logs to confirm that user authentication is required for remote network connections, rather than being open to anonymous or unauthenticated accessAffected if Network access to Unison services requires valid user credentials but does not enforce strict privilege boundaries
A user is affected if Intel Unison is installed with a version below 20.14.5683.0 (or below the other listed thresholds), exposes network services to other systems, and permits authenticated users to escalate beyond their assigned privilege level.
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 · scoped20.14.2.305320.14.424420.14.5683.0
Apply available Intel Unison software updates and patches addressing this vulnerability. Until patches are deployed, restrict network access to Unison services to authenticated, trusted users only.
20.14.5683.0 or later
- Identify the currently installed Intel Unison software version on affected systems
- Download the updated Intel Unison software version 20.14.5683.0 or later from the official Intel support website
- Verify the integrity of the downloaded package using checksums if available
- Close any running instances of Intel Unison software
- Install the updated version following standard installation procedures
- Restart the system if required by the installation
- Verify the installed version matches the target fixed version
- Confirm the vulnerability is addressed by checking that the installed version is 20.14.5683.0 or higher
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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 locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-36860 — 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-2023-36860 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