CVE-2023-41050 | Information disclosure through Python's "format" functionality in Zope AccessControl

AccessControl provides a general security framework for use in Zope. Python's "format" functionality allows someone controlling the format string to "read" objects accessible (recursively) via attribute access and subscription from accessible objects. Those attribute accesses and subscriptions use Python's full blown `getattr` and `getitem`, not the policy restricted `AccessControl` variants `_getattr_` and `_getitem_`. This can lead to critical information disclosure. `AccessControl` already provides a safe variant for `str.format` and denies access to `string.Formatter`. However, `str.format_map` is still unsafe. Affected are all users who allow untrusted users to create `AccessControl` controlled Python code and execute it. A fix has been introduced in versions 4.4, 5.8 and 6.2. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Published: 2023-09-06 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2023-41050 is rated Moderate Risk (41.4/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.52%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

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-2023-41050

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 0.26% 0.52% +0.26%
2 2026-03-17 0.22% 0.26% +0.03%
3 2025-03-30 — 0.22% —

Full EPSS history (7 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-41050

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.8 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N 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:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
 2.3 4.0 [email protected]
7.7 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N 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: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:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
 3.1 4.0 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-41050

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2023-41050

GHSA-8xv7-89vj-q48c · Severity: medium · Ecosystem: pip — Information disclosure in AccessControl

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-41050

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
zope accesscontrol < 4.4 cpe:2.3:a:zope:accesscontrol:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zope accesscontrol >= 5.0, < 5.8 cpe:2.3:a:zope:accesscontrol:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zope accesscontrol >= 6.0, < 6.2 cpe:2.3:a:zope:accesscontrol:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zope zope < 4.8.9 cpe:2.3:a:zope:zope:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
zope zope >= 5.0, < 5.8.4 cpe:2.3:a:zope:zope:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-41050

cvelogic Threat Intelligence