Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Ivanti EPMM had a path traversal flaw that could let someone with administrator access write arbitrary files to the appliance. Because CISA lists CVE-2023-35081 in KEV, treat exposed or unpatched EPMM systems as a priority even though the flaw requires high privileges.
Executive priority
Prioritize this as high. The vulnerability requires administrator privileges, but CISA KEV status means defenders should not treat it as theoretical. Confirm versions, remediate affected appliances, and review administrative access quickly.
Technical view
CVE-2023-35081 is CWE-22 in Ivanti EPMM. A network-reachable, authenticated administrator can use path traversal to write arbitrary files on the appliance. Affected branches are 11.10.x before 11.10.0.3, 11.9.x before 11.9.1.2, and 11.8.x before 11.8.1.2. CVSS v3.0 is 7.2 high.
Likely exposure
Organizations using Ivanti EPMM 11.8.x, 11.9.x, or 11.10.x below the fixed releases are the stated exposure group. Risk is highest where administrative access is broadly available or internet-adjacent management paths exist.
Exploitation context
CISA KEV inclusion supports known exploitation. The provided sources do not include exploit mechanics, indicators, or whether exploitation is widespread. The CVSS vector shows exploitation requires network access and high privileges, with no user interaction.
Researcher notes
The bundle identifies arbitrary file write via path traversal but does not provide endpoint details, exploit prerequisites beyond authenticated administrator access, indicators, or forensic guidance. Keep analysis tied to Ivanti and CISA updates.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected Ivanti EPMM branches to the fixed versions or later.
- Review the Ivanti advisory for any branch-specific remediation guidance.
- Restrict EPMM administrative access to trusted administrators and networks.
- Remove unnecessary administrator accounts and enforce strong administrative authentication.
- Prioritize remediation according to CISA KEV requirements.
Validation and detection
- Inventory all Ivanti EPMM appliances and record exact versions.
- Confirm versions are not below 11.10.0.3, 11.9.1.2, or 11.8.1.2.
- Verify administrative access paths are limited to expected users and networks.
- Review available appliance logs for unexpected administrator actions.
- Check CISA KEV and Ivanti guidance for updated instructions.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-22: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupFile access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-35081 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.2 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- Yes
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CISA KEV status
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.25.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
7.2HighVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://forums.ivanti.com/s/article/CVE-2023-35081-Arbitrary-File-Write?language=en_USCVE reference
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-35081CVE reference · government-resource
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.