Is CVE-2023-42818 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2023-42818 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2023-42818 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2023-42818 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-42818?

CVE-2023-42818 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-42818

CRITICAL

CVE-2023-42818

CWE-287Published: September 27, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

JumpServer is an open source bastion host. When users enable MFA and use a public key for authentication, the Koko SSH server does not verify the corresponding SSH private key. An attacker could exploit a vulnerability by utilizing a disclosed public key to attempt brute-force authentication against the SSH service This issue has been patched in versions 3.6.5 and 3.5.6. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this issue.

NVD Source

Risk Analysis

The Koko SSH server in JumpServer fails to verify SSH private keys when MFA is enabled and public key authentication is used. This allows an attacker to perform brute-force authentication attacks using a disclosed public key.

There is no known public exploit, and it is not in KEV. The issue is remotely exploitable with low complexity.

Recommended Action

Upgrade to version 3.6.5 or 3.5.6. No workarounds are available.

Generated by the CTIWATCH analysis pipeline from this CVE's metadata (CVSS, EPSS, KEV status, exploit intelligence). Verify against vendor advisories before acting.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-42818 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-287): Authentication bypass vulnerabilities allow attackers to access protected resources without valid credentials.