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Client SecurityApplication · Withsecure

CVE-2023-42524

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Certain WithSecure products allow an infinite loop in a scanning engine via unspecified file types. This affects WithSecure Client Security 15, WithSecure Server Security 15, WithSecure Email and Server Security 15, WithSecure Elements Endpoint Protection 17 and later, WithSecure Client Security for Mac 15, WithSecure Elements Endpoint Protection for Mac 17 and later, Linux Security 64 12.0 , Linux Protection 12.0, and WithSecure Atlant (formerly F-Secure Atlant) 1.0.35-1.

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

This vulnerability allows specially crafted files of unspecified types to trigger an infinite loop in WithSecure's scanning engine, causing denial of service through excessive resource consumption.

MitigationUpdate affected WithSecure products to vendor-provided patched versions once released. Consider implementing file type restrictions or resource limits for scanning operations as a temporary workaround.

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
Client SecurityApplication
Affected:= 15
Elements Endpoint ProtectionApplication
Affected:>= 17
Email And Server SecurityApplication
Affected:= 15
Server SecurityApplication
Affected:= 15
Linux ProtectionApplication
Affected:= 12.0
Linux Security 64Application
Affected:= 12.0
AtlantApplication
Affected:= 1.0.35-1

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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 WithSecure product
    Check system for installed WithSecure software. On Windows, check Programs and Features or the installation directory. On Linux, check package manager listings (rpm -qa or dpkg -l) for WithSecure packages.
    Affected if No WithSecure product is found, the vulnerability does not apply.
  2. Determine installed version number
    Locate the version information for the installed WithSecure product. On Windows, right-click the application in Programs and Features and select Properties, or check the About section in the product UI. On Linux, use the package manager query commands or check /opt/f-secure directory if present.
    Affected if The version matches an affected version: Client Security 15, Elements Endpoint Protection 17+, Email and Server Security 15, Server Security 15, Linux Protection 12.0, Linux Security 64 12.0, or Atlant 1.0.35-1.
  3. Verify scanning engine is enabled
    Open the WithSecure product interface and navigate to the scanning or protection settings. Confirm that real-time scanning, on-demand scanning, or the scanning engine module is currently active and not disabled.
    Affected if The scanning engine is disabled or excluded from processing files, the exploit condition is not reachable.
  4. Check Linux protection daemon status (Linux products only)
    For Linux Protection, Linux Security 64, or Elements Endpoint Protection on Linux, check if the f-secure or withsecure daemon is running using commands like 'ps aux | grep -i f-secure' or 'systemctl status f-secure' (or withsecure).
    Affected if The protection daemon is not running, the scanning engine cannot process files and trigger the infinite loop.
  5. Confirm Atlant module is loaded (Atlant product only)
    If WithSecure Atlant is installed, verify the Atlant security module is loaded and active in the system.
    Affected if The Atlant module is not loaded or active, the vulnerability cannot be triggered.

A user is affected if they have an installed WithSecure product matching an affected version AND the scanning engine or protection module is enabled and actively processing files.

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

Update affected WithSecure products to vendor-provided patched versions once released. Consider implementing file type restrictions or resource limits for scanning operations as a temporary workaround.

Fix this in Client Security Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2023-42524 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