CVE-2023-2868Remote Code injection in Barracuda Email Security Gateway
Updated under an hour ago ()
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It affects Barracuda Email Security Gateway and 5 other products. Add what you run to find out whether that includes you.
CISA lists it as known exploited since May 26, 2023; federal agencies had to remediate by Jun 16, 2023. Treat that date as your deadline.
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A remote command injection vulnerability exists in the Barracuda Email Security Gateway (appliance form factor only) product effecting versions 5.1.3.001-9.2.0.006. The vulnerability arises out of a failure to comprehensively sanitize the processing of .tar file (tape archives). The vulnerability stems from incomplete input validation of a user-supplied .tar file as it pertains to the names of the files contained within the archive. As a consequence, a remote attacker can specifically format these file names in a particular manner that will result in remotely executing a system command through Perl's qx operator with the privileges of the Email Security Gateway product. This issue was fixed as part of BNSF-36456 patch. This patch was automatically applied to all customer appliances.
- CVSS
- 9.4 CRITICAL (v3.1, CNA)CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L
- Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-20
- Known exploited
- Added to CISA KEV May 26, 2023; federal remediation due Jun 16, 2023Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days)
- 86.84% (percentile 100)
- Assigned by
- NVD analysis
- Analyzed
- Record last updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- First seen by InfoSec Signals
- Oct 9, 2026
Affected products
Barracuda Barracuda Email Security Gateway barracuda:email_security_gateway (from the name) | from 5.1.3.001 before 9.2.0.006 | CNA record |
barracuda email_security_gateway_300_firmware barracuda:email_security_gateway_300_firmware | from 5.1.3.001 through 9.2.0.006 | NVD |
barracuda email_security_gateway_400_firmware barracuda:email_security_gateway_400_firmware | from 5.1.3.001 through 9.2.0.006 | NVD |
barracuda email_security_gateway_600_firmware barracuda:email_security_gateway_600_firmware | from 5.1.3.001 through 9.2.0.006 | NVD |
barracuda email_security_gateway_800_firmware barracuda:email_security_gateway_800_firmware | from 5.1.3.001 through 9.2.0.006 | NVD |
barracuda email_security_gateway_900_firmware barracuda:email_security_gateway_900_firmware | from 5.1.3.001 through 9.2.0.006 | NVD |
References
- https://www.barracuda.com/company/legal/esg-vulnerabilitymitigation, vendor-advisory
- https://status.barracuda.com/incidents/34kx82j5n4q9vendor-advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-2868us-government-resource
The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry
The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.