VulnerabilityPublished 3 Feb 2024Updated 3 Nov 2025

CVE-2023-43016: IBM Security Verify Access Appliance · Empty Password in Configuration File

Affects IBM Security Verify Access ApplianceSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.3 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.3High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 53% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: Low

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the impacted component are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 3 Feb 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
IBM Security Verify Access Appliance	Affected =10.0.0.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Immediately audit all user accounts configured on IBM Security Verify Access Appliances to identify and remove any accounts with empty or default passwords.
Restrict network access to the management interfaces of the appliance using network segmentation, firewalls, and VPNs to limit exposure to trusted administrators only.
Monitor logs and access records for any unauthorized or suspicious login attempts, especially from external IP addresses.
Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) where supported to add an additional layer of security beyond passwords.
Regularly review and enforce strong password policies and configuration management to prevent similar misconfigurations.
Stay informed on IBM’s security advisories and apply patches or updates as soon as they become available to remediate the vulnerability definitively.
Consider deploying intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to detect anomalous activities targeting the appliance.
Conduct security awareness training for administrators managing these appliances to prevent configuration errors.

Description

IBM Security Access Manager Container (IBM Security Verify Access Appliance 10.0.0.0 through 10.0.6.1 and IBM Security Verify Access Docker 10.0.0.0 through 10.0.6.1) could allow a remote user to log into the server due to a user account with an empty password. IBM X-Force ID: 266154.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is substantial. IBM Security Verify Access Appliance is widely used in enterprise environments to enforce authentication and access policies. Unauthorized access through an empty password account could allow attackers to bypass all security controls managed by the appliance, leading to potential data breaches, unauthorized privilege escalation, and disruption of critical business services. This could affect sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and telecommunications, where identity management is crucial. The compromise of these appliances could also serve as a foothold for lateral movement within networks, increasing the risk of broader cyberattacks. Additionally, regulatory compliance frameworks in Europe, such as GDPR, impose strict requirements on protecting personal data, and exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to significant legal and financial penalties. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially given the low complexity of exploitation and the appliance’s exposure to network access.

CWE-258Empty Password in Configuration File (opens in a new tab)
Variant weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
Using an empty string as a password is insecure.
System Configuration
Passwords should be at least eight characters long -- the longer the better. Avoid passwords that are in any way similar to other passwords you have. Avoid using words that may be found in a dictionary, names book, on a map, etc. Consider incorporating numbers and/or punctuation into your password.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.8.5 (opens in a new tab)
V2.8.4 (opens in a new tab)
V2.1.2 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Nov 2025, 22:17 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-258

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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