CVE-2023-50126 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the RFID tags used in the Hozard alarm system (Alarmsysteem) version 1.0. The core issue is the absence of encryption on the RFID tags, which allows an attacker with brief physical proximity to an original tag to clone it. This cloned tag can then be used to disarm the alarm system without authorization. The vulnerability stems from CWE-311, which involves the failure to encrypt sensitive data, in this case, the RFID tag data. The attack vector is adjacent network (physical proximity), requiring no privileges or user interaction, making it relatively easy to exploit if an attacker can get close enough to the legitimate tag. The impact is primarily on the integrity of the alarm system's security, as unauthorized disarming can lead to physical security breaches. Confidentiality and availability are not directly impacted. No patches or vendor mitigations have been published yet, and there are no known exploits in the wild at this time. The CVSS v3.1 score is 6.5, reflecting a medium severity with a vector of AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N, indicating that the attack requires physical proximity but no privileges or user interaction, and results in a high impact on integrity without affecting confidentiality or availability.

For European organizations, especially those relying on the Hozard alarm system for physical security, this vulnerability poses a significant risk of unauthorized access. An attacker could bypass alarm triggers by cloning RFID tags, potentially facilitating theft, espionage, or sabotage. This undermines trust in physical security controls and could lead to financial losses, data breaches if physical access leads to IT infrastructure compromise, or harm to personnel. Organizations with high-security requirements, such as government buildings, critical infrastructure, financial institutions, and healthcare facilities, are particularly at risk. The ease of exploitation—requiring only brief physical proximity to an original tag—means that insiders or visitors could potentially clone tags without detection. The lack of encryption also suggests that any RFID tags in use are vulnerable, increasing the attack surface. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the vulnerability's nature makes it a likely target for attackers seeking low-effort physical access bypasses.

Immediate mitigation should focus on physical security controls to limit unauthorized proximity to RFID tags, such as enforcing strict access controls and monitoring areas where tags are used or stored. Organizations should consider replacing or upgrading the Hozard alarm system to versions or alternative products that implement encrypted RFID communication. If replacement is not immediately feasible, layering security controls—such as adding secondary authentication factors (PIN codes, biometric verification) to disarm the system—can reduce risk. Regular audits and inventories of RFID tags should be conducted to detect unauthorized clones. Additionally, organizations should engage with the vendor or security community to track for patches or firmware updates that address this vulnerability. Implementing RFID shielding or protective cases to prevent unauthorized scanning can also help. Finally, raising user awareness about the risk of physical proximity attacks and encouraging secure handling of RFID tags is important.