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QtsOperating system · Qnap

CVE-2023-41281

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-02-02
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
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
An OS command injection vulnerability has been reported to affect several QNAP operating system versions. If exploited, the vulnerability could allow authenticated administrators to execute commands via a network. We have already fixed the vulnerability in the following versions: QTS 5.1.4.2596 build 20231128 and later QuTS hero h5.1.4.2596 build 20231128 and later QuTScloud c5.1.5.2651 and later

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

This is an OS command injection vulnerability in QNAP NAS operating systems (QTS, QuTS hero, QuTScloud) that allows authenticated administrators to execute arbitrary operating system commands via network requests. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation in the web interface or API, enabling attackers with valid admin credentials to inject and execute malicious commands on the underlying Linux system.

MitigationUpdate affected QNAP devices to the fixed firmware versions (QTS/QuTS hero h5.1.4.2596 build 20231128 or later, QuTScloud c5.1.5.2651 or later). If immediate updates are not possible, restrict administrative access to a limited set of trusted IP addresses and enforce strong credential policies.

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
QtsOperating system
Affected:= 5.1.0.2348= 5.1.0.2399= 5.1.0.2418= 5.1.0.2444= 5.1.0.2466= 5.1.1.2491= 5.1.2.2533= 5.1.3.2578= 5.1.4.2596
Quts HeroOperating system
Affected:= h5.1.0.2409= h5.1.0.2424= h5.1.0.2453= h5.1.0.2466= h5.1.1.2488= h5.1.2.2534= h5.1.3.2578= h5.1.4.2596
QutscloudOperating system
Affected:= c5.1.0.2498

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 QNAP product and firmware version
    Log into the QNAP admin console and navigate to Control Panel > System > Firmware Update, or run 'firmware_version' via QCLI if available. Alternatively, check the login page footer or System Information page for the exact version string.
    Affected if The product is QTS, QuTS hero, or QuTScloud and the version matches any of the listed affected versions (QTS 5.1.0.x through 5.1.4.2596, QuTS hero h5.1.0.x through h5.1.4.2596, or QuTScloud c5.1.0.2498).
  2. Confirm administrative access is enabled
    Verify that the admin account exists and the web administration interface is accessible. Check Control Panel > System > General Settings > Administration to confirm web server is enabled.
    Affected if The QTS/QuTS hero/QuTScloud admin interface is accessible over the network and admin credentials are valid, enabling the attack vector described.
  3. Check network exposure of admin interface
    Review firewall rules and port forwarding settings on the QNAP device. Confirm whether the admin web interface (typically ports 8080 or 443) is exposed to untrusted networks or the internet.
    Affected if The administrative web interface is reachable from untrusted networks or the internet, increasing the likelihood of exploitation.

A QNAP NAS running QTS, QuTS hero, or QuTScloud with a firmware version matching the affected list AND with the admin interface network-accessible is vulnerable to command injection via authenticated admin requests.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update affected QNAP devices to the fixed firmware versions (QTS/QuTS hero h5.1.4.2596 build 20231128 or later, QuTScloud c5.1.5.2651 or later). If immediate updates are not possible, restrict administrative access to a limited set of trusted IP addresses and enforce strong credential policies.

Recommended fix High confidence

QTS 5.1.4.2596 (build 20231128) or later | QuTS hero h5.1.4.2596 (build 20231128) or later | QuTScloud c5.1.5.2651 or later

  1. 1. Identify the QNAP product type (QTS, QuTS hero, or QuTScloud) currently in use
  2. 2. Access the QNAP administrative interface (QTS or QuTS hero) or cloud management console (QuTScloud)
  3. 3. Navigate to Control Panel > System > Firmware Update or the appropriate update section for your product
  4. 4. Check the current firmware version to confirm it matches one of the affected versions
  5. 5. For QTS users: Upgrade to version 5.1.4.2596 (build 20231128) or later
  6. 6. For QuTS hero users: Upgrade to version h5.1.4.2596 (build 20231128) or later
  7. 7. For QuTScloud users: Upgrade to version c5.1.5.2651 or later
  8. 8. Verify the upgrade completed successfully and the new version is reflected in the system information
Caveat Review QNAP release notes for any configuration or feature changes between current and target versions before upgrading

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

Fix this in Qts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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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-2023-41281 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