The PKCS#11 feature in ssh-agent in OpenSSH before 9.3p2 has an insufficiently trustworthy search path, leading to remote code execution if an agent is forwarded to an attacker-controlled system. (Code in /usr/lib is not necessarily safe for loading into ssh-agent.) NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-10009.
Fix
Public exploits 10
- Adel2411/cve-2023-38408 PoC on GitHub
- LucasPDiniz/CVE-2023-38408 PoC on GitHub
- TX-One/CVE-2023-38408 PoC on GitHub
- classic130/CVE-2023-38408 PoC on GitHub
- fazilbaig1/cve_2023_38408_scanner PoC on GitHub
- kali-mx/CVE-2023-38408 PoC on GitHub
- mrtacojr/CVE-2023-38408 PoC on GitHub
- nonosticisiguzo-command/nmap-scan-results PoC on GitHub
- wxrdnx/CVE-2023-38408 PoC on GitHub
- xitexploiter96-dot/CVE-2023-38408 PoC on GitHub
Each line links to the index that lists it, never to exploit code. Exploit-DB's "verified" and a Metasploit rank of good or better count as verified; a PoC-in-GitHub entry is a repository's claim.
Patch, vendor advisory and mitigation references on NVD 10
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8 Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351d Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7ca Patch
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196 Issue Tracking, Patch
- https://www.openssh.com/security.html Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8 Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351d Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7ca Patch
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196 Issue Tracking, Patch
- https://www.openssh.com/security.html Vendor Advisory
Every line above is quoted from NVD, CISA, Microsoft, the vendor's own advisory or DISA; nothing is generated.
Change history 1
- First seenCVSS 9.8 · openbsd, fedoraprojectNVD modified 2026-10-15 00:16
Affected (CPE criteria) 5
cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:openssh:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:openssh:9.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:openssh:9.3:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:*cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
References 41
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173661/OpenSSH-Forwarded-SSH-Agent-Remote-Code-Execution.html Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1 Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/11
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/9
- https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408-remote-code-execution-in-opensshs-forwarded-ssh-agent Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8 Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351d Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7ca Patch
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00021.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CEBTJJINE2I3FHAUKKNQWMFGYMLSMWKQ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RAXVQS6ZYTULFAK3TEJHRLKZALJS3AOU/
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196 Issue Tracking, Patch
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202307-01 Third Party Advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230803-0010/
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213940
- https://www.openssh.com/security.html Vendor Advisory
- https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-9.3p2 Release Notes
- https://www.qualys.com/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408/rce-openssh-forwarded-ssh-agent.txt Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/exploring-opensshs-agent-forwarding-rce-cve-2023-38408
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/173661/OpenSSH-Forwarded-SSH-Agent-Remote-Code-Execution.html Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/1 Exploit, Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/07/20/2 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/11
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/22/9
- https://blog.qualys.com/vulnerabilities-threat-research/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408-remote-code-execution-in-opensshs-forwarded-ssh-agent Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/7bc29a9d5cd697290aa056e94ecee6253d3425f8 Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f03a4faa55c4ce0818324701dadbf91988d7351d Patch
- https://github.com/openbsd/src/commit/f8f5a6b003981bb824329dc987d101977beda7ca Patch
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/08/msg00021.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CEBTJJINE2I3FHAUKKNQWMFGYMLSMWKQ/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RAXVQS6ZYTULFAK3TEJHRLKZALJS3AOU/
- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36790196 Issue Tracking, Patch
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202307-01 Third Party Advisory
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230803-0010/
- https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213940
- https://www.openssh.com/security.html Vendor Advisory
- https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-9.3p2 Release Notes
- https://www.qualys.com/2023/07/19/cve-2023-38408/rce-openssh-forwarded-ssh-agent.txt Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/exploring-opensshs-agent-forwarding-rce-cve-2023-38408
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html