CVE-2023-38095
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 · uneditedNETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System MFileUploadController Unrestricted File Upload Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of NETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System. Although authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability, the existing authentication mechanism can be bypassed. The specific flaw exists within the MFileUploadController class. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can allow the upload of arbitrary files. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-19717.
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 confidenceUnrestricted file upload vulnerability in NETGEAR ProSAFE NMS MFileUploadController class allows remote authenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files due to lack of proper validation of user-supplied data. The authentication mechanism can be bypassed, enabling execution of uploaded malicious files in SYSTEM context for complete 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< 1.7.0.20CVSS 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.
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Identify if NETGEAR ProSAFE NMS is installedLook for the NETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System application on the server, check for the NMS service running, or access the web management interface on port 8080 or 8443 (typical NMS ports)Affected if The system has NETGEAR ProSAFE NMS installed and running
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Determine the installed NMS versionLog into the NMS web management interface and navigate to Help > About or System > Status to view the version, or check the installer/package version if accessibleAffected if The version is less than 1.7.0.20 (any version prior to the patch)
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Check for the MFileUploadController exposureInspect HTTP access logs for requests to endpoints that may correspond to file upload functionality (such as paths containing 'upload', 'MFileUpload', or similar), or attempt a benign test upload if safe to do so in a lab environmentAffected if The upload endpoint is accessible without proper authentication or returns unexpected responses indicating the vulnerability is present
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Review upload directories for unexpected filesLocate the application's upload directories (commonly under the NMS installation path or web root) and check for newly created files with suspicious extensions such as .jsp, .asp, .exe, or .phpAffected if Arbitrary files exist in upload directories that were not explicitly uploaded through legitimate business processes
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Check for SYSTEM-level processes spawned from web application directoriesUse process monitoring tools (such as Task Manager, Process Explorer, or native OS utilities) to identify processes running under the SYSTEM account that were launched from the NMS web application directoriesAffected if Malicious uploaded files have been executed with SYSTEM privileges
You are affected if NETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System is installed and its version is below 1.7.0.20, or if unauthorized files appear in upload directories or SYSTEM processes originate from NMS directories.
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 · scoped1.7.0.20
Apply vendor-provided patches for NETGEAR ProSAFE NMS immediately; until then, restrict network access to the management interface and monitor for suspicious upload requests.
ProSAFE Network Management System version 1.7.0.20
- Check current version of NETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System installed on the system
- Download ProSAFE Network Management System version 1.7.0.20 or later from the official NETGEAR support website (kb.netgear.com)
- Review NETGEAR upgrade documentation and backup the current configuration
- Stop the NMS service before performing the upgrade
- Install the updated version following NETGEAR's standard upgrade procedures
- Restart the NMS service after installation
- Verify the new version (1.7.0.20 or later) is running and the web interface is accessible
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-2023-38095 — 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-2023-38095 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