CVE-2023-45166 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A detailed overview of the IBM AIX privilege escalation vulnerability.

Understanding CVE-2023-45166

In this section, we will explore what CVE-2023-45166 is, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2023-45166?

IBM AIX 7.2, 7.3, and VIOS 3.1 have a vulnerability that could be exploited by a non-privileged local user via the piodmgrsu command to gain elevated privileges.

The Impact of CVE-2023-45166

The vulnerability poses a high-risk scenario with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.4 due to its potential for granting unauthorized high-level access to the system.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-45166

Let's delve into the specifics of this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue allows a local user to escalate privileges through the piodmgrsu command on affected IBM AIX and VIOS versions.

Affected Systems and Versions

IBM AIX versions 7.2, 7.3, and VIOS 3.1 are impacted by this privilege escalation vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

The attack complexity is low, requiring no user interaction, with confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts all rated as high.

Mitigation and Prevention

Here we discuss steps to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-45166.

Immediate Steps to Take

IBM AIX system administrators should apply the necessary patches or workarounds provided by IBM to address this vulnerability promptly.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regular security audits, user privilege management, and monitoring can help prevent similar privilege escalation issues in the future.

Patching and Updates

Stay updated with security advisories from IBM and promptly apply patches to secure your systems against known vulnerabilities.