HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-42364
MEDIUM

CVE-2023-42364

CWE-416Published: November 27, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

5.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A use-after-free vulnerability in BusyBox v.1.36.1 allows attackers to cause a denial of service via a crafted awk pattern in the awk.c evaluate function.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-42364 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

A successful exploit results in availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 5.5.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

busybox1 product(s)
busybox
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://bugs.busybox.net/show_bug.cgi?id=15868
ADVISORYhttps://bugs.busybox.net/show_bug.cgi?id=15868

All References (3)

→
https://bugs.busybox.net/show_bug.cgi?id=15868Exploit · Vendor Advisory
→
https://bugs.busybox.net/show_bug.cgi?id=15868Exploit · Vendor Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00012.html

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2023-42364
CVSS Score5.5 / 10
SeverityMEDIUM
WeaknessCWE-416
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedNov 27, 2023

Related CVEs (CWE-416)

CVE-2012-1974
10.0
CVE-2012-1973
10.0
CVE-2012-1972
10.0
CVE-2011-0982
10.0
CVE-2026-13782
10.0
CVE-2012-1975
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2023-42364 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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