CVE-2026-15799
Summary
by MITRE • 07/27/2026
Rejected reason: duplicate
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2026
CVE-2023-XXXX represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability affecting enterprise network infrastructure devices that operate using legacy authentication protocols. This flaw exists within the authentication subsystem of affected routers, switches, and firewalls manufactured by multiple vendors including Cisco, Juniper, and Palo Alto Networks. The vulnerability stems from improper validation of authentication tokens during session establishment processes, allowing attackers to manipulate authentication state information and gain unauthorized administrative access to network devices. The root cause can be traced to CWE-287 which specifically addresses improper authentication issues in network security systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a race condition within the token validation mechanism that occurs when multiple authentication requests are processed simultaneously. Attackers can craft malicious packets that manipulate the sequence numbers and timestamp values used during authentication handshakes, effectively bypassing the authentication checks implemented by the device's security framework. This manipulation allows unauthorized users to escalate their privileges from standard user level to administrator level without proper credentials. The vulnerability demonstrates characteristics consistent with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts usage for persistence and privilege escalation.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it provides attackers with complete control over network infrastructure, enabling them to modify routing tables, intercept traffic, and establish persistent backdoors within the network. Network administrators may experience significant disruption when attacks occur, as compromised devices can be used to launch further attacks against internal systems or exfiltrate sensitive data. The vulnerability affects organizations that maintain legacy network equipment, particularly those still operating with older versions of network operating systems that have not received security patches. Organizations with poor network segmentation practices face heightened risk due to the widespread access this vulnerability provides to core network infrastructure.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment for all affected devices, implementing network segmentation to limit lateral movement capabilities, and strengthening authentication mechanisms through multi-factor authentication implementation. Network administrators should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems specifically configured to monitor for anomalous authentication patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches across all network infrastructure components and demonstrates how legacy systems continue to pose significant risk even when properly maintained. Organizations should conduct comprehensive network audits to identify all potentially affected devices and implement monitoring procedures that can detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Security teams must also review their incident response procedures to ensure rapid detection and remediation of exploitation attempts targeting this class of vulnerability.