CVE-2023-5616

Publication date 13 December 2023

Last updated 19 August 2025

Ubuntu priority

Cvss 3 Severity Score

In Ubuntu, gnome-control-center did not properly reflect SSH remote login status when the system was configured to use systemd socket activation for openssh-server. This could unknowingly leave the local machine exposed to remote SSH access contrary to expectation of the user.

From the Ubuntu Security Team

Zygmunt Krynicki discovered that GNOME Settings did not accurately reflect the SSH remote login status when the system was configured to use systemd socket activation for OpenSSH. Remote SSH access may be unknowingly enabled, contrary to expectation.

Read the notes from the security team

Status

Show unmaintained releases

Package	Ubuntu Release	Status
gnome-control-center	25.04 plucky	Fixed 1:45.0-1ubuntu4
	24.10 oracular	Fixed 1:45.0-1ubuntu4
	24.04 LTS noble	Fixed 1:45.0-1ubuntu4
	23.10 mantic	Fixed 1:45.0-1ubuntu3.1
	23.04 lunar	Fixed 1:44.0-1ubuntu6.1
	22.04 LTS jammy	Fixed 1:41.7-0ubuntu0.22.04.8
	20.04 LTS focal	Fixed 1:3.36.5-0ubuntu4.1
	18.04 LTS bionic	Needs evaluation
	16.04 LTS xenial	Needs evaluation
	14.04 LTS trusty	Ignored end of standard support

Notes

alexmurray

systemd socket activation is only used by default for openssh-server since Ubuntu 22.10. Earlier releases would only be affected if the local system administrator had manually configured the system to use systemd socket activation. As such this issue is considered low priority on Ubuntu releases before 22.10.

Severity score breakdown

Parameter	Value
Base score	4.9 · Medium
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	High
Privileges required	None
User interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	Low
Integrity impact	Low
Availability impact	Low
Vector	CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L