CVE-2023-40146

MEDIUM
Published Apr 17, 2024 Modified Nov 4, 2025 CWE-77 CWE-798

Description

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the /bin/login functionality of Peplink Smart Reader v1.2.0 (in QEMU). A specially crafted command line argument can lead to a limited-shell escape and elevated capabilities. An attacker can authenticate with hard-coded credentials and execute unblocked default busybox functionality to trigger this vulnerability.

CVSS v3.1 Score

6.8
MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-77 CWE-77
CWE-798 CWE-798

Affected Products

Vendor Product
peplink smart_reader_firmware
peplink smart_reader

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-40146? +
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the /bin/login functionality of Peplink Smart Reader v1.2.0 (in QEMU). A specially crafted command line argument can lead to a limited-shell escape and elevated capabilities. An attacker can authenticate with hard-coded credentials and execute unblocked default busybox functionality to trigger this vulnerability. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.8 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2023-40146? +
CVE-2023-40146 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.8 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-40146? +
CVE-2023-40146 affects products from peplink, specifically: smart_reader, smart_reader_firmware. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2023-40146? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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