CVE-2023-29113 in Volkswagen MIB3 Infotainment System MIB3 OI MQB
Summary
by MITRE • 06/28/2025
The MIB3 infotainment unit used in Skoda and Volkswagen vehicles does not incorporate any privilege separation for the proprietary inter-process communication mechanism, leaving attackers with presence in the system an ability to undermine access control restrictions implemented at the operating system level. The vulnerability was originally discovered in Skoda Superb III car with MIB3 infotainment unit OEM part number 3V0035820. The list of affected MIB3 OEM part numbers is provided in the referenced resources.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/28/2025
The CVE-2023-29113 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the MIB3 infotainment systems deployed across Volkswagen and Skoda vehicle models, particularly affecting the Skoda Superb III variant with OEM part number 3V0035820. This vulnerability stems from a fundamental architectural weakness in the system's inter-process communication mechanisms that fails to implement proper privilege separation controls. The affected systems operate within automotive environments where security is paramount, yet this flaw creates a pathway for attackers with system presence to bypass operating system level access control restrictions that are typically designed to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation and data access.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the absence of privilege separation within the proprietary inter-process communication framework utilized by the MIB3 unit. This communication mechanism, which facilitates data exchange between different software components within the infotainment system, lacks the necessary security controls that would normally enforce access restrictions based on user privileges or security contexts. According to CWE-276, this vulnerability directly maps to inadequate privilege management where the system fails to properly enforce access control policies. The flaw allows an attacker who has already gained presence within the system to potentially execute unauthorized operations that would normally be restricted to higher privilege processes, effectively creating a backdoor into the vehicle's security boundaries.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to vehicle security and user privacy, particularly in automotive environments where infotainment systems increasingly integrate with broader vehicle control networks. The impact extends beyond simple data access, as the ability to bypass access control restrictions could potentially enable attackers to manipulate vehicle functions, access sensitive personal information stored in the infotainment system, or even gain deeper access to other vehicle subsystems that may be connected to the same communication infrastructure. The ATT&CK framework's T1068 technique for 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' directly applies to this vulnerability, as the flaw provides a mechanism for attackers to escalate their privileges within the system without requiring additional exploitation vectors. This represents a particularly dangerous scenario in automotive cybersecurity where such vulnerabilities could potentially lead to vehicle control compromise or data breaches.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-29113 should focus on implementing proper privilege separation controls within the inter-process communication mechanisms, ensuring that all communication channels enforce appropriate access control restrictions. System administrators and automotive security teams should prioritize updating affected MIB3 units with firmware patches that address the privilege separation gap, while also implementing network segmentation and monitoring controls to detect anomalous communication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of automotive security standards such as ISO 21434 and SOTIF (Safety of the Intended Functionality) considerations, which emphasize the need for robust security-by-design principles in automotive systems. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their vehicle infotainment systems to identify similar privilege separation issues in other components, as the architectural flaw described in CVE-2023-29113 represents a systemic security weakness that could affect other proprietary communication mechanisms within the same vehicle ecosystem.