dbcve.org
QtsOperating system · Qnap

CVE-2023-45041

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-01-05
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
A buffer copy without checking size of input vulnerability has been reported to affect several QNAP operating system versions. If exploited, the vulnerability could allow authenticated administrators to execute code 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

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 a classic buffer copy without checking size vulnerability (buffer overflow) in QNAP QTS and QuTS hero firmware. When exploited, an authenticated administrator can achieve remote code execution via network. The vulnerability stems from insufficient bounds checking when copying input data into a fixed-size buffer.

MitigationUpgrade QTS or QuTS hero to version 5.1.4.2596 build 20231128 or later. Prior to upgrade, limit administrative access to trusted users only and consider network isolation of QNAP devices.

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
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

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. Check QTS firmware version
    Log into the QNAP admin console and navigate to Control Panel > System > Firmware Update, or run 'fw_util.sh get_version' via SSH if available. The version is displayed as a build number (e.g., 5.1.0.2348).
    Affected if The installed QTS version exactly matches one of these: 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
  2. Check QuTS hero firmware version
    Log into the QuTS hero admin console and navigate to Control Panel > System > Firmware Update, or run 'fw_util.sh get_version' via SSH if available. The version is displayed with an 'h' prefix (e.g., h5.1.0.2409).
    Affected if The installed QuTS hero version exactly matches one of these: 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
  3. Confirm administrator access exists
    Review user accounts in Control Panel > Privilege > Users and Groups. Verify whether any administrator-level accounts exist and are accessible. The vulnerability requires an authenticated administrator to exploit.
    Affected if The device has at least one active administrator account and that account credentials are known or potentially exposed.

You are affected if your QNAP device runs QTS or QuTS hero with a version number matching exactly one of the listed affected builds and an administrator account can authenticate to the system.

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

Upgrade QTS or QuTS hero to version 5.1.4.2596 build 20231128 or later. Prior to upgrade, limit administrative access to trusted users only and consider network isolation of QNAP devices.

Recommended fix High confidence

QTS 5.1.4.2596 (build 20231128) or later / QuTS hero h5.1.4.2596 (build 20231128) or later

  1. Log in to QNAP admin interface
  2. Navigate to Control Panel > System > Firmware Update
  3. Check for available updates
  4. Update to QTS 5.1.4.2596 (build 20231128) or later for QTS systems
  5. Update to QuTS hero h5.1.4.2596 (build 20231128) or later for QuTS hero systems
  6. Verify the firmware update completed successfully
  7. Ensure the system is running the patched version after reboot

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

Fix this in Qts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,800
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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-2023-45041 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