CVE-2023-38099
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 getNodesByTopologyMapSearch SQL Injection 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 getNodesByTopologyMapSearch function. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of a user-supplied string before using it to construct SQL queries. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-19723.
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 confidenceSQL injection vulnerability in the getNodesByTopologyMapSearch function of NETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System allows injection of malicious SQL queries due to lack of proper input validation. Combined with the ability to bypass authentication, attackers can achieve remote code execution in the context of the SYSTEM user.
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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Confirm NETGEAR ProSAFE NMS is installedIdentify if Netgear Prosafe Network Management System is present in the environment. This is typically a web-based network management application.Affected if The software is installed and running.
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Determine the installed versionLocate and retrieve the version number of the installed NETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System. Compare it to the affected range: versions < 1.7.0.20 are vulnerable.Affected if The installed version is lower than 1.7.0.20.
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Verify web interface exposureDetermine whether the NMS web management interface is accessible from network segments that are not trusted or are external/untrusted.Affected if The management interface is exposed to untrusted or external networks.
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Check for authentication bypass conditionsAssess whether the NMS authentication mechanisms are properly configured and whether the getNodesByTopologyMapSearch function can be reached without valid credentials.Affected if The application allows unauthenticated access to vulnerable endpoints.
The environment is affected if NETGEAR ProSAFE NMS is installed with a version lower than 1.7.0.20 and its web interface is accessible, allowing potential exploitation of the SQL injection flaw in getNodesByTopologyMapSearch.
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 from NETGEAR for ProSAFE Network Management System. If no patch is available, restrict network access to the management interface to trusted IPs only and implement web application firewall rules to detect/block SQL injection attempts.
1.7.0.20
- 1. Identify the current installed version of NETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System
- 2. Download NETGEAR ProSAFE Network Management System version 1.7.0.20 or later from the official NETGEAR support website (kb.netgear.com)
- 3. Back up the current system configuration and database according to NETGEAR backup procedures
- 4. Apply the upgrade to version 1.7.0.20 following the official upgrade documentation
- 5. Verify the installation was successful and the application is functioning correctly
- 6. Confirm the getNodesByTopologyMapSearch function is no longer vulnerable to SQL injection
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-38099 — 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-2023-38099 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
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