Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2023-40303

GNU inetutils through 2.4 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of...

7.8 HighFix available

GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.41%Up 0.4 points since Aug 14, 2023
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.8

GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Record
CVE-2023-40303
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-252
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Record
CVE-2023-40303
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-44895 No score

GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Record
EUVD-2023-44895
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-w2mw-45j6-m2cq 7.8

GNU inetutils through 2.4 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of...

GNU inetutils through 2.4 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Record
GHSA-w2mw-45j6-m2cq
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-252
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2023-40303 7.8

GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2023-40303
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2023-40303 7.8

GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2023-40303
CVSS 3.1
7.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV No score

GNU inetutils before 2.5 may allow privilege escalation because of unchecked return values of set*id() family functions in ftpd, rcp, rlogin, rsh, rshd, and uucpd. This is, for example, relevant if the setuid system call fails when a process is trying to drop privileges before letting an ordinary user control the activities of the process.

Record
CVE-2023-40303
Updated
2026-11-07
OSVUSN-6304-1 No score

inetutils vulnerabilities

It was discovered that telnetd in GNU Inetutils incorrectly handled certain inputs. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a crash. This issue only affected Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (CVE-2022-39028)

It was discovered that Inetutils incorrectly handled certain inputs. An attacker could possibly use this issue to expose sensitive information, or execute arbitrary code. (CVE-2023-40303)

Record
USN-6304-1
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUSN-7781-1 No score

inetutils vulnerabilities

Matthew Hickey discovered that Inetutils did not correctly handle certain escape characters. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2019-0053)

It was discovered that Inetutils did not correctly handle certain memory operations. An attacker could possibly use this issue to execute arbitrary code. This issue only affected Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. (CVE-2020-10188)

It was discovered that Inetutils did not correctly handle certain memory operations. An attacker could possibly use this issue to cause a denial of service. (CVE-2022-39028)

It was discovered that Inetutils did not check the return values of set*id functions. An attacker could possibly use this issue to escalate their privileges. (CVE-2023-40303)

Record
USN-7781-1
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
inetutils
Debian:12
before 2:2.4-2+deb12u1, plus listed versions
2:2.4-2
2:2.4-2+deb12u1
inetutils
Debian:13
before 2:2.4-3
2:2.4-3
inetutils
Debian:14
before 2:2.4-3
2:2.4-3
inetutils
Debian:10
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
before 2:1.9.4-7+deb10u3, plus listed versions
2:1.9.4-72:1.9.4-7+deb10u12:1.9.4-7+deb10u2
2:1.9.4-7+deb10u3
inetutils
Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS
before 2:1.9.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm2, plus listed versions
2:1.9.1.306-0a482-12:1.9.1.363-bbc1-12:1.9.2-12:1.9.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm1
2:1.9.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm2
inetutils
Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS
before 2:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm3, plus listed versions
2:1.9.4-12:1.9.4-1build12:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm12:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm2
2:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm3
inetutils
Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS
before 2:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.1+esm2, plus listed versions
2:1.9.4-2build12:1.9.4-32:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.12:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.1+esm1
2:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.1+esm2
inetutils
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS
before 2:1.9.4-11ubuntu0.2, plus listed versions
2:1.9.4-10build12:1.9.4-112:1.9.4-11ubuntu0.1
2:1.9.4-11ubuntu0.2
inetutils
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS
before 2:2.2-2ubuntu0.1, plus listed versions
2:2.0-12:2.2-2
2:2.2-2ubuntu0.1
inetutils
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS
before 2:2.4-3ubuntu1, plus listed versions
2:2.4-2ubuntu2
2:2.4-3ubuntu1
Show 5 moreShow less
Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
inetutils
Ubuntu:20.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
before 2:1.9.4-11ubuntu0.2, plus listed versions
2:1.9.4-10build12:1.9.4-112:1.9.4-11ubuntu0.1
2:1.9.4-11ubuntu0.2
inetutils
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
before 2:2.2-2ubuntu0.1, plus listed versions
2:2.0-12:2.2-2
2:2.2-2ubuntu0.1
inetutils
Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 4 CVEs
before 2:1.9.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm2, plus listed versions
2:1.9.1.306-0a482-12:1.9.1.363-bbc1-12:1.9.2-12:1.9.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm1
2:1.9.2-1ubuntu0.1~esm2
inetutils
Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 4 CVEs
before 2:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm3, plus listed versions
2:1.9.4-12:1.9.4-1build12:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm12:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm2
2:1.9.4-1ubuntu0.1~esm3
inetutils
Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS
From an advisory covering 4 CVEs
before 2:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.1+esm2, plus listed versions
2:1.9.4-2build12:1.9.4-32:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.12:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.1+esm1
2:1.9.4-3ubuntu0.1+esm2

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affectedOSV
factsOSV
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2023-40303 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Gnu Inetutils, published August 14, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.41%, the 35th percentile. Fixed in inetutils 2:2.4-2+deb12u1.

References

Show 10 moreShow less
MoveEnter Open