CVE-2023-53908: Belden HiSecOS · Improper Privilege Management
Affects Belden HiSecOSSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.7 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 27% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 17 Dec 2025
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 2026-10-26.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Belden HiSecOS | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
1. Immediately restrict access to the NETCONF interface, especially the /mops_data endpoint, to trusted management networks only, using network segmentation and firewall rules. 2. Implement strict authentication and authorization controls for all users accessing HiSecOS devices, ensuring that only necessary personnel have access. 3. Monitor NETCONF configuration changes and logs for unusual or unauthorized role modifications, employing anomaly detection where possible. 4. Deploy intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tuned to detect suspicious XML payloads targeting NETCONF endpoints. 5. Engage with Belden support to obtain and apply official patches or firmware updates addressing CVE-2023-53908 as soon as they become available. 6. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on industrial network devices to identify and remediate privilege escalation risks. 7. Educate operational staff about the risks of privilege escalation and enforce the principle of least privilege across all device accounts. 8. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for device management interfaces if supported.
Description
HiSecOS 04.0.01 contains a privilege escalation vulnerability that allows authenticated users to modify their access role through XML-based NETCONF configuration. Attackers can send crafted XML payloads to the /mops_data endpoint with a specific role value to elevate their user privileges to administrative level.