dbcve.org
NgeniuspulseApplication · Netscout

CVE-2023-40300

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-12-07
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE 3.8 has a Hardcoded Cryptographic Key.

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

NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE 3.8 contains a hardcoded cryptographic key embedded within its codebase or configuration. This critical vulnerability allows attackers who obtain the key to potentially decrypt sensitive data, bypass authentication mechanisms, or impersonate legitimate system communications, leading to complete compromise of the affected system.

MitigationReplace the hardcoded cryptographic key with a properly managed key solution such as a hardware security module (HSM), key management service, or securely generated and stored keys with proper rotation mechanisms. Conduct a full security assessment to determine key exposure scope.

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
NgeniuspulseApplication
Affected:= 3.8.0-0.2349.0

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify installed nGeniusPULSE version
    Run the following command to check the installed version: nping -v or check the software's About/Version page in the management console. Alternatively, check the installation directory for version files or check the package manager if installed via yum/apt.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 3.8.0-0.2349.0 or falls within the 3.8.0-0.2349.0 range
  2. Search for hardcoded cryptographic keys in configuration files
    Examine configuration files in the nGeniusPULSE installation directory (commonly in /opt/netscout/pulse/ or similar paths). Look for files like config.xml, application.properties, web.config, or similar configuration files. Search for patterns resembling cryptographic keys such as strings containing 'key', 'crypt', 'aes', 'DES', '3des', 'encryption', or long random-looking alphanumeric strings assigned to variables named 'key', 'secret', or 'password'.
    Affected if A hardcoded cryptographic key is found in any configuration file within the nGeniusPULSE installation directory or its subdirectories
  3. Search for hardcoded keys in application binaries or libraries
    Use strings or grep commands on binary files, JAR files, DLL files, or shared libraries within the nGeniusPULSE installation. Example: find /opt/netscout/pulse -type f -exec strings {} \; | grep -iE '[a-zA-Z0-9]{32,}' or use binwalk to extract embedded strings. Look for base64-encoded strings or hex strings of sufficient length that could represent encryption keys.
    Affected if Hardcoded cryptographic keys or key-like strings are found embedded in binary files, libraries, or packaged application resources
  4. Inspect database or credential storage for weak key protection
    If nGeniusPULSE uses a database, examine how encryption keys are stored. Check if the same key found in configuration is used across multiple installations or if keys are hardcoded rather than unique per deployment. Review any key management or storage configuration.
    Affected if The same hardcoded key is used across multiple systems or the key is stored without additional protection layers such as OS file permissions, encryption at rest, or external key management

You are affected if your installed nGeniusPULSE version is 3.8.0-0.2349.0 AND you find a hardcoded cryptographic key in configuration files, application binaries, or stored credentials within the nGeniusPULSE installation.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Replace the hardcoded cryptographic key with a properly managed key solution such as a hardware security module (HSM), key management service, or securely generated and stored keys with proper rotation mechanisms. Conduct a full security assessment to determine key exposure scope.

Fix this in Ngeniuspulse Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation24.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
50.0 hours of engineering $8,800
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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-2023-40300 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