How severe is CVE-2023-38950?

CVE-2023-38950 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which products are affected by CVE-2023-38950?

Affected package information for CVE-2023-38950 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I patch CVE-2023-38950?

Apply the zkteco biotime security patch or hotfix for CVE-2023-38950 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.

How do I detect CVE-2023-38950 across my infrastructure?

Inventory every zkteco biotime deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.

How do I mitigate CVE-2023-38950 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2023-38950?

O3 detects and blocks CVE-2023-38950 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Is CVE-2023-38950 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2023-38950 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2023-38950?

CVE-2023-38950 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 84.9%, 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-2023-38950 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2023-38950 (ZKTeco BioTime Path Traversal Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2025-05-19. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2025-06-09. The required action was: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. 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-2023-38950?

CVE-2023-38950 is classified as Path Traversal (CWE-22). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2023-38950?

CVE-2023-38950 affects zkteco biotime. Check the affected-products list on this page against your deployed version to confirm exposure.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2023-38950?

A Nuclei detection template exists for CVE-2023-38950, meaning automated scanners can fingerprint it. 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-2023-38950 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2023-38950 was published on August 3, 2023 and was last updated on July 9, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CVE-2023-38950: Biotime Path Traversal (High 7.5)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

84.9%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile0.00%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Description

A path traversal vulnerability in the iclock API of ZKTeco BioTime v8.5.5 allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files via supplying a crafted payload. This vulnerability was fixed in version 9.0.120240617.19506 of ZKBioTime.

Affected Products

1 product · 1 configurations

Application

biotimezkteco

< 9.0.1

range

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vendor / appliance

Detect
Inventory every zkteco biotime deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.
Fix
Apply the zkteco biotime security patch or hotfix for CVE-2023-38950 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.
Workarounds
Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.
How O3 protects you
O3 detects and blocks CVE-2023-38950 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Tailored to CVE-2023-38950. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

A path traversal vulnerability in the iclock API of ZKTeco BioTime v8.5.5 allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files via supplying a crafted payload. This vulnerability was fixed in version 9.0.120240617.19506 of ZKBioTime.

O3 Security · Runtime Protection

Is CVE-2023-38950 being exploited in your environment?

O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2023-38950 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.

Protect my workloads How runtime protection works

CVE-2023-38950

EPSS Exploitation Probability

Description

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Fix

Workarounds

How O3 protects you

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2023-38950 being exploited in your environment?