CVE-2023-22952
In SugarCRM before 12.0. Hotfix 91155, a crafted request can inject custom PHP code through the EmailTemplates because of missing input validation.
- CVSS
- 8.8Highscored by CISA
- Exploited in the wild
- Yes, in CISA KEV since 2 Feb 2023CISA deadline for US federal agencies: 23 Feb 2023public exploit code
- EPSS
- 80.1%chance of exploitation in the next 30 daystop 0.4% of scored CVEsFIRST score of 11 Nov 2026
- Fix
- Patch availablesee the advisories in the references
- Published
- 11 Jan 2023analysed here 12 Nov 2026
Do first. Apply updates per vendor instructions. (CISA's required action for this KEV entry)
Summary
Triage
- Attack surface
- Server-side
- Exploitable
- At runtime
- Attack vector
- network
- Can a WAF block it?
- Partly. See why
The summary, impact and action text on this page are written by our AI analysis pipeline, or taken from the NVD description when a CVE was imported from NVD. They are not the vendor's wording: check them against the sources. A longer AI executive summary and technical analysis are generated for signed-in accounts on the Max plan.
Affected products
Products named in our analysis
- sugarcrm:sugarcrm
Fix and mitigation
WAF and other mitigations
Can a WAF block it? Partly. The vulnerability involves injecting PHP code via crafted HTTP requests to the EmailTemplates feature. While the request contains code injection, it may resemble normal template editing requests, making it only partly distinguishable by a WAF. A custom WAF rule can filter requests with PHP code injection in EmailTemplates parameters, but attackers can vary the request. No tracked WAF vendor has published a rule for this CVE yet.
What a custom rule would match: requests with PHP code injection in EmailTemplates parameters
Also consider: patch · custom WAF rule · remove eval sinks · RASP
Based on an AI reading of the CVE description, and no vendor rule found yet. We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.
Remediation steps (AI-written)
Step-by-step remediation is generated for accounts on the Max plan, for CVEs that match a technology in their stack. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
Exploitation evidence
- CISA KEV catalog
- Listed since 2 Feb 2023.
- CISA due date
- 23 Feb 2023, the remediation deadline for US federal agencies
- CISA required action
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- Public exploit code
- Yes: 1 Metasploit module · 1 Nuclei template
- CISA SSVC
- exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact totalAssessed by CISA 29 Jan 2025 (SSVC 2.0.3). Exploitation is none, poc (public proof of concept) or active.
Metasploit
- exploit/multi/http/sugarcrm_webshell_cve_2023_22952exploit, rank good
Nuclei
- SugarCRM Unauthenticated - Remote Code Executiondetection template, high
Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.
Timeline
- 11 Jan 2023Published
- 2 Feb 2023Added to CISA KEV (exploited in the wild)22 days later
- 23 Feb 2023CISA remediation due date (US federal agencies)21 days later
- 29 Jan 2025CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active707 days (about 2 years) later
- 21 Oct 2025CVE record last updated265 days (about 9 months) later
- 12 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com387 days (about 1 year) later
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
| Metric | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Attack vector | NetworkReachable over the internet or any routable network. | Reachable over the internet or any routable network. |
| Attack complexity | LowRepeatable attack, no special conditions. | Repeatable attack, no special conditions. |
| Privileges required | LowThe attacker needs basic user privileges. | The attacker needs basic user privileges. |
| User interaction | NoneNo victim action needed. | No victim action needed. |
| Scope | UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component. | Impact stays within the vulnerable component. |
| Confidentiality | HighTotal data disclosure possible. | Total data disclosure possible. |
| Integrity | HighComplete modification possible. | Complete modification possible. |
| Availability | HighFull outage possible. | Full outage possible. |
Common questions
Is CVE-2023-22952 being exploited?
Yes. CVE-2023-22952 appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed and reported. Treat it as active rather than theoretical, and patch it ahead of higher-scoring vulnerabilities that carry no exploitation evidence.
How severe is CVE-2023-22952?
CVE-2023-22952 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2023-22952?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2023-22952. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2023-22952 affect?
CVE-2023-22952 affects sugarcrm:sugarcrm. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
References
3 references in the CVE record, grouped by the tags the record gives them.
Other links (3)
- support.sugarcrm.com /Resources/Security/sugarcrm-sa-2023-001/
- packetstormsecurity.com /files/171320/SugarCRM-12.x-Remote-Code-Execution-Shell-Upload.html
- cisa.gov /known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-22952
Where the data on this page comes from
- CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
- NVD: CVSS and CPE data
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, due date
- CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
- FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
- Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules
- Nuclei templates: detection templates
Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.
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