CVE-2023-6038
High PUBLISHEDLocal File Inclusion in h2oai/h2o-3
Not yet in CISA KEV
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
A Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability exists in the h2o-3 REST API, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the server with the permissions of the user running the h2o-3 instance. This issue affects the default installation and does not require user interaction. The vulnerability can be exploited by making specific GET or POST requests to the ImportFiles and ParseSetup endpoints, respectively. This issue was identified in version 3.40.0.4 of h2o-3.
- CVE Published
- Nov 16, 2023
- Exploitation Reported
- Nov 16, 2023
- CVSS
- 9.3 Critical
- EPSS
- —
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| h2oai |
h2oai/h2o-3
|
unspecified to <= latest |
Affected |
CVE References
- huntr.com/bounties/380fce33-fec5-49d9-a101-12c972125d8c huntr.com · CVE Record https://huntr.com/bounties/380fce33-fec5-49d9-a101-12c972125d8c
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| The Shadowserver First | 2023-11-16 16:06 UTC |
Scanner Artifacts
Nuclei and Metasploit references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-6038.yaml | Apr 25, 2025 |
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2023-11-16 16:06:43 UTC · The Shadowserver
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2026-06-12 14:20:43 UTC · Nuclei Templates
Weaknesses (CWE)
-
Missing Authorization
Scanner Integrations
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-6038.yaml | Apr 25, 2025 |
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
14:20 UTC about 1 month ago14:20 UTC · about 1 month ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
00:00 UTC about 1 year ago00:00 UTC · about 1 year ago
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
16:06 UTC over 2 years ago16:06 UTC · over 2 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
16:06 UTC over 2 years ago16:06 UTC · over 2 years ago
Added to KEVIntel KEV Feed
High-confidence, third-party attested exploitation
-
18:15 UTC over 2 years ago18:15 UTC · over 2 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2023-6038
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2023-6038",
"title": "Local File Inclusion in h2oai/h2o-3",
"affected_vendor": "h2oai",
"affected_product": "h2oai/h2o-3",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "High",
"cvss_score": 9.3,
"epss_score": null,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}