CVE-2023-40252
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 Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') vulnerability in Genians Genian NAC V4.0, Genians Genian NAC V5.0, Genians Genian NAC Suite V5.0, Genians Genian ZTNA allows Replace Trusted Executable.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 confidenceCode injection vulnerability in Genians Genian NAC and ZTNA products allows attackers to replace trusted executables. The vulnerability stems from improper control of code generation, potentially enabling remote code execution with high privileges. The affected versions span multiple major releases across NAC V4.0, V5.0, and ZTNA V6.0.
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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 installed Genian product and versionAccess the management console or check system information. For NAC, look in the web UI under System > Status or check /opt/genian/version. For ZTNA, check /opt/genian-ztna/version or the web interface.Affected if The installed version falls within >= 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.
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Confirm product type is affectedDetermine whether the deployment is Genian NAC (versions 4.x or 5.x) or Genian ZTNA (version 6.x). Check the product name in the management console header or license information.Affected if The product is Genian NAC versions 4.0.0 to 4.0.155, 5.0.0 to 5.0.54, or specifically 5.0.42; or Genian ZTNA versions 6.0.0 to 6.0.15.
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Check if management interface is network-accessibleReview firewall rules or network access lists to determine if the Genian management web interface (typically ports 443, 8443) is accessible from untrusted networks or the internet.Affected if The management interface is exposed to untrusted networks without proper access controls, which would allow remote attackers to exploit the code injection flaw.
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Inspect trusted executables for unauthorized modificationsCompare checksums of critical executables in /opt/genian/bin/ or similar directories against known-good baselines. Look for any unexpected new executables or recently modified binary files.Affected if Executables have been replaced, modified without documented change, or new suspicious executables exist in the application directories.
You are affected if you are running Genian NAC versions 4.0.0 through 4.0.155, 5.0.0 through 5.0.54 (including 5.0.42), or Genian ZTNA versions 6.0.0 through 6.0.15, especially if the management interface is network-accessible.
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
Apply vendor patches or upgrade to patched versions beyond V4.0.155, V5.0.42, V5.0.54, and V6.0.15 respectively. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to management interfaces and implement strict input validation on all user-supplied data.
Upgrade to Genian NAC V4.0.156+, NAC V5.0.55+/Suite V5.0.55+, or ZTNA V6.0.16+ (minimum fixed releases)
- 1. Identify the exact Genian product and version currently installed (NAC V4.0, NAC V5.0, NAC Suite V5.0, or ZTNA V6.0)
- 2. Review current system configuration and ensure a backup is available before upgrading
- 3. Download the appropriate fixed version from the Genians official download portal or support channels
- 4. For Genian NAC V4.0: Upgrade to version 4.0.156 or later
- 5. For Genian NAC V5.0 or NAC Suite V5.0: Upgrade to version 5.0.55 or later
- 6. For Genian ZTNA V6.0: Upgrade to version 6.0.16 or later
- 7. Apply the upgrade following standard Genians upgrade procedures documented in the admin guide
- 8. Verify the upgrade was successful and the version number reflects the patched release
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-40252 — 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-2023-40252 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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