CVE-2023-27573: netbox-docker Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2023-27573 Overview

CVE-2023-27573 is a critical hardcoded credentials vulnerability affecting netbox-docker versions prior to 2.5.0. The vulnerability exists because the netbox-docker deployment ships with a superuser account containing default credentials—specifically the admin password for the admin account and a hardcoded SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN value of 0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567. While these defaults were intentionally designed for isolated development networks, the deployment allowed repurposing for production environments without enforcing credential changes.

Critical Impact

Attackers with network access can authenticate to netbox-docker instances using default credentials, potentially gaining full administrative access to infrastructure documentation and network management data.

Affected Products

• netbox-docker versions prior to 2.5.0
• Deployments using default SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN value
• Production instances derived from netbox-docker without credential rotation

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-11 - CVE CVE-2023-27573 published to NVD
• 2026-03-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-27573

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from insecure default configuration in the netbox-docker deployment package. The root issue is that while the product documentation stated that defaults must not be used in production, the installation process did not enforce or validate that users changed the default credentials before deployment.

Empirical analysis found that while almost all users changed the default admin password, approximately 10% of internet-facing deployments retained the default API token value. This token provides equivalent administrative access to the NetBox instance, enabling attackers to query, modify, or delete critical network infrastructure documentation.

The vulnerability classification under CWE-1392 (Use of Default Credentials) accurately reflects the core issue. The supplier acknowledged the CVE assignment, recognizing that the design decision to include default credentials—while appropriate for development use cases—created significant risk when the product was repurposed for production environments.

Root Cause

The vulnerability originates from the intentional inclusion of default credentials in netbox-docker to simplify the development workflow. The SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN was set to a static value (0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567) to enable immediate API access in isolated development networks. However, the deployment process lacked enforcement mechanisms to ensure these defaults were changed before production use, creating a gap between documented security requirements and actual deployment behavior.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication and no user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Identifying internet-exposed netbox-docker instances through service enumeration
2. Attempting authentication using the default API token
3. Upon successful authentication, gaining full administrative access to the NetBox instance
4. Accessing, modifying, or exfiltrating sensitive network infrastructure data

Since no real code examples are available, the exploitation mechanism involves making authenticated API requests to the NetBox REST API using the default token value in the Authorization header. Successful exploitation grants the attacker complete control over the NetBox instance, including the ability to view IP address management data, rack configurations, device inventories, and other critical infrastructure documentation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-27573

Indicators of Compromise

• API requests using the default token value 0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567
• Unexpected administrative actions in NetBox audit logs from unknown sources
• Authentication attempts with the token from external IP addresses
• Bulk data export operations from the NetBox API

Detection Strategies

• Monitor NetBox API authentication logs for requests using the known default token hash
• Implement network monitoring for connections to NetBox instances from unexpected geographic locations
• Audit NetBox configuration to verify SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN has been changed from the default value
• Review API access patterns for anomalous bulk queries or data modifications

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive API logging in NetBox to track all authenticated requests
• Configure alerting for administrative operations performed outside business hours
• Deploy intrusion detection rules to identify default credential usage patterns
• Implement rate limiting on API endpoints to slow credential stuffing attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-27573

Immediate Actions Required

• Immediately rotate the SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN to a cryptographically random value
• Change the default admin password if not already modified
• Audit recent API access logs for unauthorized access using default credentials
• Restrict network access to NetBox instances using firewall rules or VPN requirements

Patch Information

The netbox-docker maintainers addressed this vulnerability in version 2.5.0. Users should upgrade to this version or later to benefit from improved default credential handling. The fix was implemented through GitHub Pull Request #959, and the release notes for version 2.5.0 provide additional details on the security improvements. The original issue is tracked in GitHub Issue #953.

Workarounds

• Generate a new API token using a secure random generator and update the SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN environment variable
• Implement network-level access controls to prevent unauthorized external access to the NetBox instance
• Configure reverse proxy authentication to add an additional layer of access control
• Deploy netbox-docker behind a VPN to restrict access to authorized internal networks only

# Configuration example
# Generate a secure random API token and update environment
export SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 20)

# Verify the token is not the default value
if [ "$SUPERUSER_API_TOKEN" = "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567" ]; then
    echo "ERROR: Default token detected. Generate a new token."
    exit 1
fi

# Restart netbox-docker with the new configuration
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d