dbcve.org
F Secure Policy ManagerApplication · Withsecure

CVE-2023-43762

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-09-22
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
Certain WithSecure products allow Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution via the web server (backend). This affects WithSecure Policy Manager 15 and Policy Manager Proxy 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 · moderate confidence

WithSecure Policy Manager 15 and Policy Manager Proxy 15 contain an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability in their backend web server component. An attacker can exploit this to execute arbitrary code on affected systems without requiring valid credentials.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided security patch for Policy Manager 15 and Policy Manager Proxy 15 immediately. If patches are unavailable, consider network segmentation to limit exposure of the management interface.

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
F Secure Policy ManagerApplication
Affected:= 15.00
Policy Manager ProxyApplication
Affected:= 15.00

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 Policy Manager version
    Locate the Policy Manager installation directory and check the version information in the product manifest, registry entry, or about dialog. Common locations include program files directories or Linux package management listings.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 15.00 (Policy Manager 15 or Policy Manager Proxy 15)
  2. Verify backend web server component status
    Check if the Policy Manager backend web server service is running. On Windows, use Services.msc or sc query. On Linux, check the process list for the policy manager web service daemon.
    Affected if The backend web server component is running and accessible on the network
  3. Confirm management interface accessibility
    Determine if the Policy Manager management console port (default web ports 80/443 or configured custom port) is listening on network interfaces accessible from outside localhost. Use netstat or equivalent to list bound addresses.
    Affected if The management interface is bound to non-loopback addresses or exposed to untrusted networks
  4. Review authentication configuration
    Inspect the Policy Manager configuration files or admin console to verify whether the backend web server permits unauthenticated access to administrative functions.
    Affected if Unauthenticated access to backend administrative functions is permitted

A system is affected if Policy Manager 15.00 or Policy Manager Proxy 15.00 is installed with the backend web server component running and accessible, regardless of authentication settings since the vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote code execution.

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

Apply the vendor-provided security patch for Policy Manager 15 and Policy Manager Proxy 15 immediately. If patches are unavailable, consider network segmentation to limit exposure of the management interface.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to the latest WithSecure Policy Manager 15.x release or Policy Manager 16.x (contact WithSecure for exact patched version number)

  1. 1. Backup the current Policy Manager database and configuration files before starting the upgrade process.
  2. 2. Download the latest WithSecure Policy Manager version from the official WithSecure download portal at www.withsecure.com.
  3. 3. Review the WithSecure installation and upgrade guide for version 15.x or later.
  4. 4. Stop the Policy Manager service on the server.
  5. 5. Install the updated Policy Manager version following the official upgrade documentation.
  6. 6. Verify that the Policy Manager service starts successfully after upgrade.
  7. 7. Test that the management console is accessible and Policy Manager Proxy connections are working.
  8. 8. Validate that the vulnerability is no longer present by confirming the web server no longer allows unauthenticated requests to execute code.
Caveat Review release notes for potential breaking changes between 15.00 and the target upgrade version, particularly regarding API compatibility and proxy configuration

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

Fix this in F Secure Policy Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2023-43762 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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