What products are affected by CVE-2023-2533?

CVE-2023-2533 affects PaperCut NG/MF. Refer to the vendor advisory and NVD record for affected versions.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2023-2533?

CVE-2023-2533 has an EPSS score of 29.5%, placing it in the 98th percentile. This means it has a 29.5% probability of being exploited in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of all known vulnerabilities. EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is maintained by FIRST and uses real-world threat data to estimate exploitation likelihood.

Actively Exploited, CISA KEV

CVE-2023-2533: PaperCut NG/MF High-Severity Vulnerability

Severity: High | CVSS 3.1: 8.4 | Published: 2023-06-20 | KEV Added: 2025-07-28

What is CVE-2023-2533?

A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability has been identified in PaperCut NG/MF, which, under specific conditions, could potentially enable an attacker to alter security settings or execute arbitrary code. This could be exploited if the target is an admin with a current login session. Exploiting this would typically involve the possibility of deceiving an admin into clicking a specially crafted malicious link, potentially leading to unauthorized changes.

Technical Analysis

Weakness Classification

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-352, Cross-Site Request Forgery. The application does not verify that requests from authenticated users were intentionally sent, allowing attackers to trick users into performing unintended actions.

Attack Vector Breakdown

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: High
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability is exploitable over the network, meaning any system reachable via the internet or internal network is potentially at risk without physical access. The attack complexity is low, meaning exploitation does not depend on specialized conditions or race windows. Successful exploitation can result in full confidentiality breach (complete data disclosure), complete integrity compromise (data modification or code execution), total availability loss (denial of service). Notably, the vulnerability's scope is changed, meaning exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component, for example, escaping a sandbox or container to impact the host system. The application does not verify that requests from authenticated users were intentionally sent, allowing attackers to trick users into performing unintended actions.

Exploitation Probability (EPSS): 29.5% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (98th percentile). This is a significantly elevated exploitation probability, prioritize patching.

Is CVE-2023-2533 being exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-2533 is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, restricted to CVEs with confirmed active exploitation in the wild. CISA added this vulnerability on 2025-07-28. Inclusion in KEV triggers the patching mandate under BOD 22-01 for U.S. federal civilian agencies, with a remediation deadline of 2025-08-18.

How to fix CVE-2023-2533

Apply the security update issued by PaperCut for NG/MF. If an immediate patch is not possible, consult the vendor advisory for mitigation guidance, restrict network exposure of the affected service, and monitor logs for indicators of exploitation. CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog requires U.S. federal agencies to remediate this vulnerability by the due date shown below under Binding Operational Directive 22-01. Private organizations should treat KEV entries as priority-one patches because active exploitation has been confirmed in the wild.

Related Vulnerabilities

Other actively exploited vulnerabilities affecting NG/MF or sharing the same weakness (CWE-352):

CVE-2023-27351 (Unknown N/A) [same product], PaperCut NG/MF contains an improper authentication vulnerability that could…

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2023-2533 critical?

CVE-2023-2533 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.4, High severity. It should be treated as a priority patch, especially given the active exploitation confirmed by CISA.

Is CVE-2023-2533 being actively exploited?

Yes, CISA added CVE-2023-2533 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-07-28. Inclusion in KEV means CISA has confirmed in-the-wild exploitation.

How do I patch CVE-2023-2533?

Apply the security update from PaperCut for NG/MF. Federal agencies must remediate by 2025-08-18 under BOD 22-01.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2023-2533?

CVE-2023-2533 is classified under CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery). The application does not verify that requests from authenticated users were intentionally sent, allowing attackers to trick users into performing unintended actions.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2023-2533?

CVE-2023-2533 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.4, classifying it as High severity. The attack vector is Network, attack complexity is Low, and non-zero privileges are required.