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CVE-2023-20273

Cisco IOS XE Web UI Command Injection

7.2 HIGHActively exploited (CISA KEV)EPSS 89.6%
  1. Published25 Oct 2023
  2. Added to CISA KEV23 Oct 2023
  3. Remediation due27 Oct 2023
Actively exploited (CISA KEV)

Cisco IOS XE contains a command injection vulnerability in the web user interface. When chained with CVE-2023-20198, the attacker can leverage the new local user to elevate privilege to root and write the implant to the file system. Cisco identified CVE-2023-20273 as the vulnerability exploited to deploy the implant. CVE-2021-1435, previously associated with the exploitation events, is no longer believed to be related to this activity.

Added to KEV: 23 Oct 2023Federal remediation due: 27 Oct 2023

Description

A vulnerability in the web UI feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject commands with the privileges of root. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to the web UI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to inject commands to the underlying operating system with root privileges.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredHigh
User interactionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Cisco iOS XE≥ 16.12 < 16.12.10a · ≥ 17.3 < 17.3.8a · ≥ 17.6 < 17.6.6a · ≥ 17.9 < 17.9.4a

Remediation

Fixed in
Cisco iOS XE≥ 16.12.10a

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2023-20273 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-20273 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 23 Oct 2023.

How severe is CVE-2023-20273?

CVE-2023-20273 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.2, rated high. EPSS estimates a 89.6% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2023-20273?

Affected products include Cisco iOS XE.

How do I fix CVE-2023-20273?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Cisco iOS XE 16.12.10a or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2023-20273 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.