CVE-2023-40251
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 · uneditedMissing Encryption of Sensitive Data vulnerability in Genians Genian NAC V4.0, Genians Genian NAC V5.0, Genians Genian NAC Suite V5.0, Genians Genian ZTNA allows Man in the Middle Attack.This issue affects Genian NAC V4.0: from V4.0.0 through V4.0.155; Genian NAC V5.0: from V5.0.0 through V5.0.42 (Revision 117460); Genian NAC Suite V5.0: from V5.0.0 through V5.0.54; Genian ZTNA: from V6.0.0 through V6.0.15.
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 confidenceGenian NAC products (V4.0, V5.0, NAC Suite V5.0, and ZTNA V6.0.x) transmit sensitive data over the network without proper encryption, allowing man-in-the-middle attackers to intercept and read sensitive information such as credentials, network traffic, or configuration data.
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>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.156>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.55= 5.0.42>= 6.0.0, < 6.0.16CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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.
-
Identify installed Genian NAC versionAccess the Genian NAC admin console or use the system information command provided by the product (such as 'genianctl status' or checking About/Version page in the web UI) to determine the exact version number.Affected if The installed version is >= 4.0.0 and < 4.0.156; or >= 5.0.0 and < 5.0.55 (including 5.0.42); or >= 6.0.0 and < 6.0.16 for ZTNA.
-
Verify encryption status of management interfaceAttempt to access the Genian NAC web interface using HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443). Check whether HTTP redirects to HTTPS or allows unencrypted access.Affected if The management interface is accessible over plain HTTP without automatic redirect to HTTPS, or if both HTTP and HTTPS are available.
-
Inspect network traffic for unencrypted sensitive dataUse a network capture tool (such as tcpdump or Wireshark) to capture traffic between Genian NAC components and clients/devices. Analyze the captured packets for plaintext transmission of credentials, configuration data, or sensitive information.Affected if Sensitive data such as usernames, passwords, configuration details, or authentication tokens are observed in plaintext within network captures.
-
Check for TLS/SSL enforcement in communication settingsReview the Genian NAC configuration menus (typically under System Settings, Network Settings, or Security Settings) for options related to TLS, SSL, or encryption enforcement. Verify whether encryption is enabled and enforced for all communication channels.Affected if Encryption is disabled, optional, or not enforced for sensitive communications between NAC components and managed devices.
A user is affected if their Genian NAC/ZTNA version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND sensitive data is transmitted over the network without TLS/SSL encryption.
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 · scoped4.0.1565.0.556.0.16
Upgrade to patched versions of Genian NAC (V4.0.156 or later, V5.0.43 or later, NAC Suite V5.0.55 or later) or ZTNA V6.0.16 or later. If upgrade is not immediately possible, implement network segmentation and ensure TLS/SSL is enforced for all sensitive communications.
Genian NAC V4.0: upgrade to 4.0.156 or later; NAC V5.0: upgrade to 5.0.55 or later; ZTNA V6.0: upgrade to 6.0.16 or later
- Identify the currently installed Genian NAC or ZTNA version using the system management console
- Determine which product line applies to your installation (Genian NAC V4.0, NAC V5.0, or ZTNA V6.0)
- For Genian NAC V4.0: Plan upgrade to version 4.0.156 or later
- For Genian NAC V5.0: Plan upgrade to version 5.0.55 or later
- For Genian ZTNA V6.0: Plan upgrade to version 6.0.16 or later
- Review release notes and upgrade documentation at docs.genians.com before proceeding
- Execute upgrade during a planned maintenance window
- Verify the new version is running post-upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 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 $10,240.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-40251 — 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-2023-40251 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