CVE-2023-52163 is a command injection vulnerability identified in Digiever DS-2105 Pro devices running firmware version 3.1.0.71-11. The vulnerability resides in the time_tzsetup.cgi interface, which is used for time zone configuration. An attacker with low-level privileges can exploit this flaw to inject and execute arbitrary system commands remotely without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), indicating improper access control that allows unauthorized command execution. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 reflects a high severity due to the network attack vector, low attack complexity, and the ability to impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Notably, the affected products are no longer supported by the vendor, meaning no official patches or updates are available to remediate the issue. This increases the risk as organizations must rely on compensating controls. While no public exploits have been reported in the wild, the vulnerability’s characteristics suggest it could be weaponized by attackers targeting legacy surveillance infrastructure. The lack of user interaction and the ability to execute commands remotely make this a critical threat for environments where these devices are deployed. The vulnerability’s impact includes potential data exfiltration, device takeover, disruption of surveillance operations, and pivoting to other network segments.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-52163 can be substantial, especially for those relying on Digiever DS-2105 Pro devices in their security and surveillance infrastructure. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive video feeds, manipulation or deletion of recorded data, and disruption of surveillance services, undermining physical security measures. The compromise of these devices could also serve as a foothold for lateral movement within corporate or critical infrastructure networks, potentially affecting broader IT systems. Given that these devices are no longer supported, the risk of prolonged exposure is high, increasing the likelihood of exploitation over time. Organizations in sectors such as transportation, government facilities, utilities, and large enterprises that use legacy Digiever equipment face elevated risks. The confidentiality breach could expose sensitive surveillance data, while integrity and availability impacts could degrade operational security and incident response capabilities. The absence of patches necessitates reliance on network-level defenses and device replacement strategies to mitigate risk.

Since no official patches are available due to the end-of-life status of the affected devices, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately isolate Digiever DS-2105 Pro devices from public and untrusted networks by placing them in segmented VLANs with strict access controls. 2) Restrict management interface access to trusted administrators only, using VPNs or jump hosts with multi-factor authentication. 3) Disable or restrict access to the time_tzsetup.cgi endpoint if possible, or block related HTTP requests at the network perimeter. 4) Monitor network traffic for unusual command injection patterns or unexpected outbound connections originating from these devices. 5) Conduct regular audits to identify any legacy Digiever devices still in operation and prioritize their replacement with supported, secure alternatives. 6) Implement network intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tuned to detect exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. 7) Educate security teams about the risks associated with unsupported IoT and surveillance devices to improve asset management and incident response readiness. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on compensating controls and proactive device lifecycle management.