What it is
CVE-2023-6038 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting h2oai h2oai/h2o-3. A Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability exists in the h2o-3 REST API, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
High confidence
Not in CISA KEV
CVE-2023-6038
h2oai/h2o-3
h2oai / h2oai/h2o-3 · unspecified to <= latest
- Severity
- CVSS 9.3 · Critical
- Confidence
- High
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 4.3%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is high.
Who is affected?
h2oai / h2oai/h2o-3 unspecified to <= latest.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
h2oai/h2o-3
A Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability exists in the h2o-3 REST API, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the server with the permissions of the user running the h2o-3 instance. This issue affects the default installation and does not require user interaction.
The vulnerability can be exploited by making specific GET or POST requests to the ImportFiles and ParseSetup endpoints, respectively. This issue was identified in version 3.40.0.4 of h2o-3.
Vendor
Product
Affected
Status
h2oai
h2oai/h2o-3
Through latest
Affected
- Published
- 16 Nov 2023
- Exploitation Reported
- 16 Nov 2023
- Attack vector
- Remote
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
Tags
nuclei_scanner
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-6038
- huntr.com/bounties/380fce33-fec5-49d9-a101-12c972125d8c huntr.com · CVE Record https://huntr.com/bounties/380fce33-fec5-49d9-a101-12c972125d8c
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
The Shadowserver
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Proof of concept available
Nuclei Templates
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| The Shadowserver First | 2023-11-16 16:06 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Nuclei template detected 25 Apr 2025.
View Nuclei template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-6038.yaml | 25 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.0
9.3
Critical
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N
EPSS
4.3%
Weaknesses
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
H2O ImportFiles - Local File Inclusion
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
Added to KEV Intelligence KEV Feed
High-confidence, third-party attested exploitation
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2023-6038
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2023-6038",
"confidence": "High",
"cvss_score": 9.3,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.0434,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.