Appsecure logo

CVE-2023-30799: Critical Vulnerability in MikroTik RouterOS

CVE-2023-30799 is a critical privilege escalation vulnerability in MikroTik RouterOS affecting versions prior to 6.49.7. Organizations must prioritize remediation to prevent unauthorized access and control over devices.

CRITICALPublic ExploitCVSS 9.1 · Published July 19, 2023

Not a customer? See how AppSecure simulates real world attacks to protect your infrastructure.

Speak to Experts

CVE-2023-30799 is a critical vulnerability affecting MikroTik RouterOS stable versions before 6.49.7 and long-term versions through 6.48.6. This vulnerability allows a remote and authenticated attacker to escalate privileges from admin to super-admin on the Winbox or HTTP interface. By exploiting this vulnerability, attackers may execute arbitrary code on the system, posing a significant risk to organizations.

The severity of this vulnerability is classified as critical, with a CVSS score of 9.1, indicating a high potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Organizations should take immediate action to mitigate this risk, as failure to do so could result in unauthorized access and control over MikroTik devices.

Risk to organizations includes possible data breaches and system compromises, emphasizing the urgency for defenders to prioritize patching. The vulnerability's exploitation status is confirmed, necessitating prompt remediation efforts.

Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to protect their networks and systems from potential exploitation.

Vulnerability Details

The official CVE description indicates that MikroTik RouterOS versions prior to 6.49.7 and long-term through 6.48.6 are susceptible to privilege escalation issues. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-269, which pertains to improper privilege management. The CVSS score of 9.1 signifies a critical severity level, with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

The vulnerability was published on July 19, 2023, and is categorized under the MikroTik vendor and RouterOS component. Organizations using affected versions should be vigilant in applying necessary patches.

Technical Analysis

The root cause of CVE-2023-30799 is the improper handling of user privileges within MikroTik RouterOS. The attack vector is network-based, and the complexity of the attack is low, allowing attackers to exploit the vulnerability without requiring extensive technical knowledge.

The attacker must possess high privileges (admin) to initiate the exploit, and no user interaction is required. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is rated as high, indicating that successful exploitation could lead to significant organizational damage.

Risk & Impact Analysis

The real-world deployment of this vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations utilizing MikroTik RouterOS. Given that attackers may leverage this vulnerability to gain unauthorized control over devices, the potential blast radius is extensive, affecting not only individual devices but also the entire network.

Organizations must assess their exposure based on the CVSS score and prioritize remediation accordingly. The urgency for addressing this vulnerability is critical, and organizations should take immediate steps to apply patches and mitigate risks.

Exploitation Status

Signal

Status

Known Exploit

Yes

Public PoC

Yes

Actively Exploited

No

Ransomware Use

No

Affected Versions

Affected versions include MikroTik RouterOS stable versions prior to 6.49.7 and long-term versions through 6.48.6. Organizations must ensure that they are running patched versions to mitigate this vulnerability.

Mitigation & Remediation

To mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2023-30799, organizations should apply patches provided by MikroTik. The recommended version to upgrade to is 6.49.7 or later. If patching is not immediately possible, organizations should consider implementing network controls to limit access to vulnerable interfaces and monitor for unusual activities.

For ongoing protection, organizations may also benefit from conducting regular vulnerability assessments and utilizing penetration testing to identify similar weaknesses.

Detection Guidance

Organizations should monitor logs for indicators of unauthorized access attempts and privilege changes. Behavioral anomalies in user activity, particularly for accounts with administrative privileges, should be flagged for review. Network signatures that detect exploitation attempts can also aid in identifying potential breaches.

AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight

CVE-2023-30799 represents a critical vulnerability that highlights the importance of robust privilege management within network devices. This incident serves as a reminder for organizations to regularly review their security configurations and implement best practices for access control.

Security teams should consider reviewing their vulnerability management programs to ensure that they are equipped to handle similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Additionally, organizations should engage in proactive security measures such as penetration testing and continuous monitoring to detect and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

By maintaining a vigilant security posture and staying informed about emerging threats, organizations can better protect themselves against vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-30799.

Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

Latest CVEs. Recently published vulnerabilities from the NVD database.

View all vulnerabilities
CVE IDSeverity
CVE-2025-65418HIGH
CVE-2025-65417MEDIUM
CVE-2025-65416MEDIUM
CVE-2025-65415MEDIUM
CVE-2025-61314HIGH

Protect Your Business with Hacker-Focused Approach.