CVE-2023-38408

The PKCS#11 feature in ssh-agent in OpenSSH before 9.3p2 has an insufficiently trustworthy search path, leading to remote code execution if an agent is forwarded to an attacker-controlled system. (Code in /usr/lib is not necessarily safe for loading into ssh-agent.) NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-10009.

• CWE-428
• CWE-428

• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173661/OpenSSH-Forwarded-SSH-Agent-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/11
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/9
• https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408-remote-code-execution-in-opensshs-forwarded-ssh-agentThird Party Advisory
• https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8Patch
• https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351dPatch
• https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7caPatch
• https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00021.html
• https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CEBTJJINE2I3FHAUKKNQWMFGYMLSMWKQ/
• https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RAXVQS6ZYTULFAK3TEJHRLKZALJS3AOU/
• https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196Issue Tracking, Patch
• https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202307-01Third Party Advisory
• https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230803-0010/
• https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213940
• https://www.openssh.com/security.htmlVendor Advisory
• https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-9.3p2Release Notes
• https://www.qualys.com/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408/rce-openssh-forwarded-ssh-agent.txtExploit, Third Party Advisory
• https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/exploring-opensshs-agent-forwarding-rce-cve-2023-38408
• http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173661/OpenSSH-Forwarded-SSH-Agent-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/11
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/9
• https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408-remote-code-execution-in-opensshs-forwarded-ssh-agentThird Party Advisory
• https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8Patch
• https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351dPatch
• https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7caPatch
• https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00021.html
• https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CEBTJJINE2I3FHAUKKNQWMFGYMLSMWKQ/
• https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RAXVQS6ZYTULFAK3TEJHRLKZALJS3AOU/
• https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196Issue Tracking, Patch
• https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202307-01Third Party Advisory
• https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230803-0010/
• https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213940
• https://www.openssh.com/security.htmlVendor Advisory
• https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-9.3p2Release Notes
• https://www.qualys.com/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408/rce-openssh-forwarded-ssh-agent.txtExploit, Third Party Advisory
• https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/exploring-opensshs-agent-forwarding-rce-cve-2023-38408

Published

Jul 20, 2023

Last Modified

Jun 17, 2026

Status

Modified

• How Strix found a critical auth bypass in etcdStrix autonomously discovered a critical authentication bypass in etcd, later designated CVE-2026-33413.
• Autonomous PentestingAI agents that find and validate exploitable vulnerabilities like this one across your applications.
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