CVE-2023-45132: NAXSI is an open-source maintenance web application firewall (WAF) for NGINX. An issue present starting in version 1.3 and prior to version 1.6 allows...

Description

NAXSI is an open-source maintenance web application firewall (WAF) for NGINX. An issue present starting in version 1.3 and prior to version 1.6 allows someone to bypass the WAF when a malicious `X-Forwarded-For` IP matches `IgnoreIP` `IgnoreCIDR` rules. This old code was arranged to allow older NGINX versions to also support `IgnoreIP` `IgnoreCIDR` when multiple reverse proxies were present. The issue is patched in version 1.6. As a workaround, do not set any `IgnoreIP` `IgnoreCIDR` for older versions.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.80%

51.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-693

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Wargio	Naxsi	>= 1.3, < 1.6

References

Timeline

Published: Oct 11, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-45132?

NAXSI is an open-source maintenance web application firewall (WAF) for NGINX. An issue present starting in version 1.3 and prior to version 1.6 allows someone to bypass the WAF when a malicious `X-Forwarded-For` IP matches `IgnoreIP` `IgnoreCIDR` rules. This old code was arranged to allow older NGINX versions to also support `IgnoreIP` `IgnoreCIDR` when multiple reverse proxies were present. The issue is patched in version 1.6. As a workaround, do not set any `IgnoreIP` `IgnoreCIDR` for older versions.

How severe is CVE-2023-45132?

CVE-2023-45132 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.80% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-45132?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.