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SplunkApplication

CVE-2023-40598

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-08-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.2.12 / 9.0.6 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
In Splunk Enterprise versions below 8.2.12, 9.0.6, and 9.1.1, an attacker can create an external lookup that calls a legacy internal function. The attacker can use this internal function to insert code into the Splunk platform installation directory. From there, a user can execute arbitrary code on the Splunk platform Instance.

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 confidence

An authenticated attacker with Splunk user access can create malicious external lookups that invoke legacy internal functions to inject arbitrary code into the Splunk installation directory, achieving remote code execution on the affected instance.

MitigationUpgrade Splunk Enterprise to version 8.2.12, 9.0.6, 9.1.1 or later. Additionally, restrict external lookup creation permissions to prevent untrusted users from configuring external lookups.

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
SplunkApplication
Affected:< 8.2.12>= 9.0.0, < 9.0.6>= 9.1.0, < 9.1.1
Splunk Cloud PlatformApplication
Affected:< 9.0.2305.200

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check installed Splunk Enterprise version
    Navigate to Settings > About > Version or run: splunk version
    Affected if Version is less than 8.2.12, or between 9.0.0-9.0.5, or between 9.1.0-9.1.0
  2. Check Splunk Cloud Platform version
    Navigate to Settings > Account Settings > Version Info in the Splunk Cloud interface
    Affected if Version is less than 9.0.2305.200
  3. Verify user roles with external lookup permissions
    Navigate to Settings > Users and Roles > Roles, then inspect each role for 'Lookup file' or 'External lookup' capabilities under the Objects section
    Affected if Users other than admins have roles granting external lookup creation or edit permissions
  4. Inspect existing external lookup configurations
    Navigate to Settings > Lookups > Lookup table files and examine any .csv files configured as external lookups. Check their source path and any associated scripts in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/lookups/ or custom apps
    Affected if External lookup files reference unknown or suspicious scripts, or point to writable directories outside the default Splunk installation
  5. Check permissions on lookup directory
    Run: ls -la $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/lookups/ and inspect file ownership and write permissions
    Affected if Non-admin users have write access to lookup directories or lookup definition files

You are affected if your Splunk version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND untrusted users have the ability to create or modify external lookups.

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 8.2.12 / 9.0.6 / 9.0.2305.200 or later
Fixed in 8.2.129.0.69.0.2305.200
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Splunk Enterprise to version 8.2.12, 9.0.6, 9.1.1 or later. Additionally, restrict external lookup creation permissions to prevent untrusted users from configuring external lookups.

Recommended fix High confidence

Splunk Enterprise: 8.2.12, 9.0.6, or 9.1.1 | Splunk Cloud Platform: 9.0.2305.200

  1. Review Splunk upgrade documentation and ensure backup of configuration files (local/meta lookups, saved searches, etc.)
  2. Download the appropriate Splunk Enterprise fixed version (8.2.12, 9.0.6, or 9.1.1) from splunk.com
  3. For Splunk Enterprise on-premises: Stop the Splunk service, run the installer for the target version, then restart the Splunk service
  4. For Splunk Cloud Platform: Contact Splunk Support to schedule the upgrade to version 9.0.2305.200 or later
  5. After upgrade, verify external lookup configurations to ensure no malicious lookups were added
  6. Review Splunk audit logs for any suspicious activity related to external lookups
Caveat Upgrade may require migration planning; review Splunk upgrade prerequisites and compatibility matrix before proceeding

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

Fix this in Splunk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2023-40598 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