# CVE-2023-4001: Grub2: bypass the grub password protection feature

Status: published. Published: 2024-01-15. Updated: 2026-11-07.

An authentication bypass flaw was found in GRUB due to the way that GRUB uses the UUID of a device to search for the configuration file that contains the password hash for the GRUB password protection feature. An attacker capable of attaching an external drive such as a USB stick containing a file system with a duplicate UUID (the same as in the "/boot/" file system) can bypass the GRUB password protection feature on UEFI systems, which enumerate removable drives before non-removable ones. This issue was introduced in a downstream patch in Red Hat's version of grub2 and does not affect the upstream package.

## Remediation

No remediation reported in collected sources

## Affected products and versions

- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (grub2): ≥ 1:2.06-70.el9_3.2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.0 Extended Update Support (grub2): ≥ 1:2.06-27.el9_0.16; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.2 Extended Update Support (grub2): ≥ 1:2.06-61.el9_2.2; < * (unaffected, rpm). Source: CNA: redhat
- Red Hat / Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 (grub2): Version range not reported. Source: CNA: redhat

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 6.8 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H; source: CNA: redhat

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.54% as of 2026-11-06; percentile 45.73%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-290

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0437 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0456 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0468 (CNA: redhat; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-4001 (CNA: redhat; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2224951 (CNA: redhat; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT)

- https://dfir.ru/2024/01/15/cve-2023-4001-a-vulnerability-in-the-downstream-grub-boot-manager/ (CNA: redhat)

- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/01/15/3 (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0437 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0456 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2024:0468 (ADP: CVE; vendor-advisory, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-4001 (ADP: CVE; vdb-entry, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2224951 (ADP: CVE; issue-tracking, x_refsource_REDHAT, x_transferred)

- https://dfir.ru/2024/01/15/cve-2023-4001-a-vulnerability-in-the-downstream-grub-boot-manager/ (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3OBADMKHQLJOBA32Q7XPNSYMVHVAFDCB/ (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CHLZQ47HM64NDOHMHYO7VIJFYD5ZPPYN/ (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20240216-0006/ (ADP: CVE; x_transferred)

## Provenance

- CNA: redhat: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4001; retrieved 2026-11-07; source updated 2026-11-07

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2023-4001; retrieved 2026-11-07; source updated Not reported

Revision: a9aeaa34ebd00b8b748cb79c14950ef14a2b205889e6eaeac447429745f391bb

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2023-4001

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