CVE-2023-51142 in BioTime
Summary
by MITRE • 04/11/2024
An issue in ZKTeco BioTime v.8.5.4 and before allows a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-51142 affects ZKTeco BioTime version 8.5.4 and earlier installations, representing a significant security weakness that enables remote attackers to extract sensitive information from affected systems. This issue resides within the biometric time and attendance management platform commonly deployed in enterprise environments for employee tracking and access control purposes. The vulnerability manifests as an information disclosure flaw that can be exploited without authentication, making it particularly dangerous for organizations relying on these systems for critical operational data.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper error handling mechanisms within the ZKTeco BioTime application. Attackers can leverage this weakness to perform unauthorized data retrieval operations that expose confidential information including user credentials, biometric templates, employee records, and system configuration details. The flaw likely occurs in the application's web interface or API endpoints that process requests from remote clients, where inadequate sanitization of user inputs allows malicious requests to bypass normal access controls and return sensitive data. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses "Improper Input Validation," and represents a classic example of how insufficient data validation can lead to information exposure.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-51142 extends beyond simple data theft, as the compromised information can be used to facilitate further attacks within the targeted organization. Attackers who gain access to employee biometric data can potentially impersonate legitimate users and bypass physical security measures. The exposure of system configuration details may reveal network topology information, software versions, and other sensitive operational data that could be leveraged for privilege escalation or lateral movement attacks. Organizations using ZKTeco BioTime systems face risks including unauthorized access to time and attendance records, potential identity theft, and compromised physical security infrastructure. This vulnerability particularly affects industries with strict compliance requirements such as healthcare, finance, and government sectors where employee data protection is paramount.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-51142 should prioritize immediate patching of affected systems to address the root cause of the information disclosure vulnerability. Organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate biometric time and attendance systems from critical network segments and apply firewall rules to restrict access to these systems. Regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other enterprise applications. The implementation of robust input validation controls and proper error handling mechanisms can prevent similar issues from occurring in future deployments. Security monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous access patterns and unauthorized data retrieval attempts. Additionally, organizations should establish incident response procedures specifically addressing information disclosure vulnerabilities and maintain comprehensive backup systems to ensure business continuity in case of successful exploitation. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and regular security updates in maintaining enterprise security posture, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1566 for credential access through social engineering and T1071 for application layer protocol usage in data exfiltration activities.