CVE-2023-6287

What it actually does

Local attacker with low privileges can read log files produced by the Webconf component and extract stored passwords due to sensitive data being written in plaintext.

Why it matters to the business

Compromised credentials from the appliance can enable lateral movement, unauthorized access to monitored systems, and broader infrastructure exposure; the vulnerability has been public for over 1000 days with stable low exploitation probability.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local shell access on the Checkmk Appliance identifies Webconf-generated log files, opens them, and extracts any passwords that were logged in cleartext.

How to fix it

Upgrade Tribe29 Checkmk Appliance firmware to version 1.6.8 or newer; after upgrade, rotate any credentials that may have appeared in logs and restrict local log access via file permissions.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm appliance reports version 1.6.8 or later; inspect current log files to ensure no plaintext passwords remain; test that new log entries do not contain sensitive values.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local user access on the Checkmk Appliance
2. Navigate to Webconf log file locations
3. Search or read logs for credential strings

How to detect it

Search appliance logs and file system for Webconf log files containing credential-like strings; review authentication or file-access events around those logs for unexpected local reads.

• plaintext passwords appearing in webconf log files
• unusual local reads of webconf*.log

What your security team should do

• Apply the 1.6.8 firmware update without delay
• Audit and rotate all credentials previously used on the appliance
• Harden local access controls and log file permissions
• Monitor for any post-fix anomalous log access