CVE-2023-51142
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in ZKTeco BioTime allows remote attackers to access sensitive information without authentication. It affects BioTime versions 8.5.4 and earlier, potentially exposing employee data, biometric information, or system credentials.
💻 Affected Systems
- ZKTeco BioTime
📦 What is this software?
Biotime by Zkteco
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of biometric and personnel databases, credential theft enabling further system access, and potential identity theft of employees.
Likely Case
Exposure of employee personal information, biometric templates, and system configuration data that could facilitate further attacks.
If Mitigated
Limited data exposure if systems are properly segmented and access controlled, but still represents a significant information disclosure risk.
🎯 Exploit Status
The GitHub gist reference contains technical details that could be used to create exploits. The vulnerability requires no authentication.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 8.5.5 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.zkteco.com/en/Security_Bulletinsibs/14
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the latest version from ZKTeco's official website. 2. Backup your current configuration and database. 3. Install the update following vendor instructions. 4. Restart the BioTime service. 5. Verify the update was successful.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allRestrict access to BioTime web interface to internal networks only
Web Application Firewall
allImplement WAF rules to block information disclosure attempts
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit who can reach the BioTime interface
- Monitor for unusual access patterns and information disclosure attempts in logs
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the BioTime web interface version in the admin panel or via the web interface footerCheck Version:
Check web interface or admin panel for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 8.5.5 or later and test that sensitive information is no longer accessible via unauthenticated requests📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual access patterns to sensitive endpoints
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by information disclosure requests
Network Indicators:
- Unusual HTTP requests to BioTime endpoints from unexpected sources
- Traffic patterns suggesting information gathering
SIEM Query:
source="biotime_logs" AND (url="*/sensitive_endpoint*" OR status=200 AND size>1000000)