CVE-2023-25161 | Nextcloud Server's missing rate limiting on password reset functionality allows sending lots of emails

Nextcloud Server is the file server software for Nextcloud, a self-hosted productivity platform. Nextcloud Server and Nextcloud Enterprise Server prior to versions 25.0.1 24.0.8, and 23.0.12 missing rate limiting on password reset functionality. This could result in service slowdown, storage overflow, or cost impact when using external email services. Users should upgrade to Nextcloud Server 25.0.1, 24.0.8, or 23.0.12 or Nextcloud Enterprise Server 25.0.1, 24.0.8, or 23.0.12 to receive a patch. No known workarounds are available.

Published: 2023-02-13 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2023-25161 is rated Low Risk (32.4/100): CVSS Low severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.73%). Mandatory action: Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-25161

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.32% 0.73% +0.40%
2 2026-02-15 0.10% 0.32% +0.22%
3 2025-11-21 0.10%

Full EPSS history (10 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-25161

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
3.7 3.1 LOW
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
2.2 1.4 [email protected]
5.3 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:N)
Doesn’t really leak secrets in a meaningful way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:L)
Might cause slowdowns, glitches, or partial disruption—not a full brick.
3.9 1.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-25161

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-25161

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
nextcloud nextcloud_server < 23.0.12 cpe:2.3:a:nextcloud:nextcloud_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
nextcloud nextcloud_server >= 24.0.0, < 24.0.8 cpe:2.3:a:nextcloud:nextcloud_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
nextcloud nextcloud_server 25.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:nextcloud:nextcloud_server:25.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-25161

cvelogic Threat Intelligence