dbcve.org
Stack-based Buffer OverflowWeakness · CWE-121

CVE-2023-46272

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Buffer Overflow vulnerability in Extreme Networks IQ Engine before 10.6r1a, and through 10.6r4 before 10.6r5, allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code via the implementation of the ah_auth service

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

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the ah_auth service of Extreme Networks IQ Engine wireless firmware. The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted input to this authentication service. Affected versions include those before 10.6r1a and 10.6r4 before 10.6r5.

MitigationUpgrade IQ Engine firmware to version 10.6r5 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If running older branches, upgrade to 10.6r1a or the latest stable release for that branch.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/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 IQ Engine installation
    Access the wireless controller or access point CLI and run commands such as 'show version', 'show system info', or check the web interface dashboard to confirm Extreme Networks IQ Engine firmware is installed.
    Affected if The device is not running Extreme Networks IQ Engine firmware - this CVE only applies to that specific product line.
  2. Locate firmware version
    Execute 'show version' or 'show firmware version' in the CLI. The output will display the current IQ Engine version number (for example, 10.6r4 or 10.6r5).
    Affected if Unable to determine the firmware version - you cannot assess exposure without knowing the installed version.
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    Compare the installed version to these affected ranges: any version before 10.6r1a, or version 10.6r4 through 10.6r4.x. Versions 10.6r5 and later, or 10.6r1a (inclusive), are not affected.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 'before 10.6r1a' OR is '10.6r4 through 10.6r4.x' (any 10.6r4 release before 10.6r5).
  4. Verify ah_auth service presence
    Check if the ah_auth authentication service is running or enabled on the device. This may be visible via 'show process', 'show services', or by reviewing the service configuration in the web interface under Wireless Services or Authentication settings.
    Affected if The ah_auth service is not present or not configured - the buffer overflow only affects systems where this specific authentication service is enabled.
  5. Confirm network exposure
    Review firewall rules, access point group policies, and network segmentation to determine if the ah_auth service is reachable from untrusted networks. Check if management interfaces are exposed to LAN/WAN or guest networks.
    Affected if The ah_auth service is directly accessible from untrusted or external networks - the vulnerability is exploitable remotely via crafted input to this service.

A system is affected if it runs Extreme Networks IQ Engine firmware version 10.6r4 through 10.6r4.x (before 10.6r5) or any version before 10.6r1a, and has the ah_auth service enabled and network-accessible.

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 IQ Engine firmware to version 10.6r5 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If running older branches, upgrade to 10.6r1a or the latest stable release for that branch.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Extreme Networks IQ Engine 10.6r5

  1. 1. Identify the current IQ Engine version installed on the affected Extreme Networks device
  2. 2. If the current version is before 10.6r1a, upgrade to version 10.6r1a or later
  3. 3. If the current version is 10.6r1a through 10.6r4, upgrade to version 10.6r5 or later
  4. 4. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the IQ Engine version
  5. 5. Test the ah_auth service functionality to ensure proper operation after upgrade
Caveat Review Extreme Networks release notes for IQ Engine 10.6r5 for any configuration or feature changes that may affect your deployment

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-46272 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-46272 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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