CVE-2023-45303 — thingsboard
HIGHCVE-2023-45303 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.4) CWE-74 vulnerability in org.thingsboard:thingsboard. 2 public exploit or proof-of-concept references are indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.thingsboard:thingsboard — see the affected versions and patch details below.
ThingsBoard Server-Side Template Injection
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-45303.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
org.thingsboard:thingsboardReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
ThingsBoard before 3.5 allows Server-Side Template Injection if users are allowed to modify an email template, because Apache FreeMarker supports freemarker.template.utility.Execute (for content sent to the /api/admin/settings endpoint).
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.thingsboard:thingsboard | all versions | 3.5org.thingsboard:thingsboard:3.5 |
Affected Products
thingsboardthingsboardResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.thingsboard:thingsboard, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.thingsboard:thingsboard to 3.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-45303 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-45303 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.