dbcve.org
IgnitionApplication · Inductiveautomation

CVE-2023-38123

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-03
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.1.26 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges

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 · unedited
Inductive Automation Ignition OPC UA Quick Client Missing Authentication for Critical Function Authentication Bypass Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass authentication on affected installations of Inductive Automation Ignition. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the server configuration. The issue results from the lack of authentication prior to allowing access to password change functionality. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to bypass authentication on the system. Was ZDI-CAN-20540.

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 confidence

Inductive Automation Ignition OPC UA Quick Client contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in its server configuration. The flaw allows remote attackers to access password change functionality without prior authentication, enabling full authentication bypass on affected systems.

MitigationApply vendor-provided patches for Ignition and ensure all server configurations enforce authentication for password change operations. Review user access controls and monitor for unauthorized 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
IgnitionApplication
Affected:< 8.1.26

CVSS 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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed Ignition version
    Access the Ignition Gateway status page or check the installation directory for version information. Typically found in the Gateway startup logs or the 'About' section in the Gateway Control Panel.
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 8.1.26 (for example, 8.1.25, 8.1.24, etc.)
  2. Locate OPC UA Quick Client configuration
    Navigate to the Ignition Gateway configuration section and look for OPC UA module settings. The Quick Client is typically accessed through the Ignition Designer or Gateway webpage under OPC UA server configuration.
    Affected if The OPC UA Quick Client module or feature is present and enabled on the system
  3. Verify password change authentication settings
    Inspect the server configuration files or Gateway settings related to OPC UA security. Look for authentication enforcement settings on password change or user management endpoints within the OPC UA module.
    Affected if The configuration allows password change operations without requiring user authentication or a valid session token
  4. Check for unauthenticated access exposure
    Review server logs or access logs for any password change requests originating from remote IP addresses that do not correspond to authenticated sessions. Also examine if the OPC UA server exposes any endpoints accessible without credentials.
    Affected if Password change functionality can be reached without providing valid authentication credentials

A system is affected if it runs Ignition version 8.1.25 or earlier AND has the OPC UA Quick Client enabled with password change functionality accessible without authentication.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.1.26 or later
Fixed in 8.1.26
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-provided patches for Ignition and ensure all server configurations enforce authentication for password change operations. Review user access controls and monitor for unauthorized configuration changes.

Recommended fix High confidence

Ignition 8.1.26 or later

  1. Download and install Ignition version 8.1.26 or later from the official Inductive Automation website (inductiveautomation.com)
  2. After upgrading, verify that the OPC UA Quick Client password change functionality now requires authentication
  3. Test that existing user authentication works correctly post-upgrade
  4. Review user accounts and permissions to ensure proper access controls are in place

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Ignition Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
34.0 hours of engineering $5,940
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,504.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-38123 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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