CVE-2023-46805: Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

Should you act?

Exploited: patch now if you run it

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• Yes, if you run Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2024-01-10, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2024-01-22; treat that as the outer limit, not the target. CISA also lists it as known to be used in ransomware campaigns.
• EPSS 100.0%, percentile 100.0: FIRST’s model estimates a 100.0% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 100.0% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Editorial verdict: Act now. Ivanti Connect Secure Zero-Day Chain: Unauthenticated RCE — This chain was exploited as a zero-day by a suspected nation-state actor and then mass-exploited; any unpatched appliance should be assumed compromised, not just patched.

What it is

An authentication bypass vulnerability in the web component of Ivanti ICS 9.x, 22.x and Ivanti Policy Secure allows a remote attacker to access restricted resources by bypassing control checks.

CISA’s summary

Ivanti Connect Secure (ICS, formerly known as Pulse Connect Secure) and Ivanti Policy Secure gateways contain an authentication bypass vulnerability in the web component that allows an attacker to access restricted resources by bypassing control checks. This vulnerability can be leveraged in conjunction with CVE-2024-21887, a command injection vulnerability.

Weakness type: CWE-287.

Product: Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure · Assigned by: hackerone · Published: 2024-01-12

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: added 2024-01-10; federal due date 2024-01-22. Known ransomware use: Known.
• CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable yes, technical impact partial.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 99.99% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 100.0.

Timeline

• 2024-01-10 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
• 2024-01-10 — erroneo.us brief: Ivanti Connect Secure Zero-Day Chain: Unauthenticated RCE
• 2024-01-12 — CVE record published by hackerone
• 2024-01-22 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
• 2026-10-01 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vendor and project advisories, patches

1. Listed in CISA KEV notes (forums.ivanti.com) forums.ivanti.com

Vulnerability records

1. CVE.org record CVE-2023-46805 cve.org
2. NVD entry CVE-2023-46805 nvd.nist.gov

Government

1. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog entry cisa.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. forums.ivanti.com forums.ivanti.com
2. packetstormsecurity.com packetstormsecurity.com

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