CVE-2023-3972 | Insights-client: unsafe handling of temporary files and directories

A vulnerability was found in insights-client. This security issue occurs because of insecure file operations or unsafe handling of temporary files and directories that lead to local privilege escalation. Before the insights-client has been registered on the system by root, an unprivileged local user or attacker could create the /var/tmp/insights-client directory (owning the directory with read, write, and execute permissions) on the system. After the insights-client is registered by root, an attacker could then control the directory content that insights are using by putting malicious scripts into it and executing arbitrary code as root (trivially bypassing SELinux protections because insights processes are allowed to disable SELinux system-wide).

Published: 2023-11-01 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2023-3972 is rated Low Risk (37.3/100): CVSS High severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.26%). 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-2023-3972

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 0.01% 0.26% +0.25%
2 2025-11-21 0.08% 0.01% -0.07%
3 2025-11-18 — 0.08% —

Full EPSS history (6 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-3972

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
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:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
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:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 1.8 5.9 [email protected]
7.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:L)
They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
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:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
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:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 1.8 5.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-3972

OS Trackers for CVE-2023-3972

vendor priority summary link
redhat high — https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-3972

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-3972

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
redhat insights-client < 3.2.2 cpe:2.3:a:redhat:insights-client:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux 8.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux 9.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_aus 8.6 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_aus:8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_desktop 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_eus 8.6 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_eus 8.8 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_eus 9.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_eus 9.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_arm_64 8.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_arm_64:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_arm_64_eus 8.6 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_arm_64_eus:8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_arm_64_eus 8.8 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_arm_64_eus:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_arm_64_eus 9.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_arm_64_eus:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_arm_64_eus 9.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_arm_64_eus:9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems 8.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems 9.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus 8.6 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus 8.8 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus 9.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus 9.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian 8.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian 9.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus 8.6 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus 8.8 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus 9.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_for_scientific_computing 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_scientific_computing:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server 7.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_aus 8.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_aus 8.4 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_aus 9.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.1 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.4 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.6 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.8 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions 9.0 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions 9.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_for_power_little_endian_update_services_for_sap_solutions:9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_tus 8.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_tus 8.4 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_tus 8.6 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_tus 8.8 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions 9.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.1 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.2 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.4 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.6 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
redhat enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions 8.8 cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-3972

cvelogic Threat Intelligence