How severe is CVE-2023-27350?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2023-27350 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-27350?

Affected package information for CVE-2023-27350 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2023-27350?

No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2023-27350 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2023-27350 in my code and dependencies?

Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

How do I mitigate CVE-2023-27350 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

Is CVE-2023-27350 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 20 known exploit references for CVE-2023-27350, including 2 documented proof-of-concept exploits on Exploit-DB and 13 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2023-27350?

CVE-2023-27350 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 100.0%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is CVE-2023-27350 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2023-27350 (PaperCut MF/NG Improper Access Control Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2023-04-21. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2023-05-12. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. This CVE has been used in known ransomware campaigns. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2023-27350?

CVE-2023-27350 is classified as CWE-284 (CWE-284). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2023-27350?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2023-27350, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. A Metasploit module references CVE-2023-27350, which lowers the barrier to weaponization. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2023-27350 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2023-27350 was published on April 20, 2023 and was last updated on October 21, 2025. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV · ACTIVELY EXPLOITED

CVE-2023-27350

CVE-2023-27350 is a CWE-284 vulnerability. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-04-21) and has been used in ransomware campaigns — treat it as actively exploited and patch now. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass authentication on affected installations of PaperCut NG 22.0.5 (Build 63914). Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability.…

Published

Apr 20, 2023

Updated

Oct 21, 2025

Affected

2 products

Patched

See advisory

Exploits

20 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 5, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

Confirmed by CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-04-21 — including use in ransomware campaigns. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2023-05-12.
CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA (KEV catalog and SSVC triage) for CVE-2023-27350.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

100.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs100th percentile — riskier than 100% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Description

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass authentication on affected installations of PaperCut NG 22.0.5 (Build 63914). Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the SetupCompleted class. The issue results from improper access control. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-18987.

Affected Products

2 products · 6 configurations

Application

papercut mfpapercut

≥ 22.0.0 && < 22.0.9

range

Application

papercut ngpapercut

≥ 22.0.0 && < 22.0.9

range

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-51452webappsmultiple

PaperCut NG/MG 22.0.4 - Remote Code Execution (RCE)

by MaanVader · May 23, 2023

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-51391webappsmultiple

PaperCut NG/MG 22.0.4 - Authentication Bypass

by MaanVader · Apr 25, 2023

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability

Detect
Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).
Remediation status
No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2023-27350 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

How to detect CVE-2023-27350

A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:

nuclei -id cve-2023-27350 -u https://target

Template: PaperCut - Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution
Severity: critical
Impact: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.
Remediation: Apply the latest security patches or updates provided by the vendor to mitigate this vulnerability.

Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (rootxharsh, iamnoooob, pdresearch), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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