Cisco is providing an update for the ongoing investigation into observed exploitation of…
Priority CRITICAL 100Exploited in the wildCWE-420Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
Cisco is providing an update for the ongoing investigation into observed exploitation of the web UI feature in Cisco IOS XE Software. We are updating the list of fixed releases and adding the Software Checker. Our investigation has determined that the actors exploited two previously unknown issues. The attacker first exploited CVE-2023-20198 to gain initial access and issued a privilege 15 command to create a local user and password combination. This allowed the user to log in with normal user access. The attacker then exploited another component of the web UI feature, leveraging the new local user to elevate privilege to root and write the implant to the file system. Cisco has assigned CVE-2023-20273 to this issue. CVE-2023-20198 has been assigned a CVSS Score of 10.0. CVE-2023-20273 has been assigned a CVSS Score of 7.2. Both of these CVEs are being tracked by CSCwh87343.
Why it matters now
Exploitation Active In CISA KEV since 2023-10-16CISA due date 2023-10-20
EPSS 0.99781 99th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Active
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Cisco IOS XE Software | 16.1.1; 16.1.2; 16.1.3; 16.2.1; 16.2.2; 16.3.1; 16.3.2; 16.3.3; 16.3.1a; 16.3.4; 16.3.5; 16.3.5b; 16.3.6; 16.3.7; 16.3.8; 16.3.9; 16.3.10; 16.3.11; 16.4.1; 16.4.2; 16.4.3; 16.5.1; 16.5.1a; 16.5.1b; 16.5.2; 16.5.3; 16.6.1; 16.6.2; 16.6.3; 16.6.4; 16.6.5; 16.6.4a; 16.6.5a; 16.6.6; 16.6.7; 16.6.8; 16.6.9; 16.6.10; 16.7.1; 16.7.1a; 16.7.1b; 16.7.2; 16.7.3; 16.7.4; 16.8.1; 16.8.1a; 16.8.1b; 16.8.1s; 16.8.1c; 16.8.1d; 16.8.2; 16.8.1e; 16.8.3; 16.9.1; 16.9.2; 16.9.1a; 16.9.1b; 16.9.1s; 16.9.3; 16.9.4; 16.9.3a; 16.9.5; 16.9.5f; 16.9.6; 16.9.7; 16.9.8; 16.10.1; 16.10.1a; 16.10.1b; 16.10.1s; 16.10.1c; 16.10.1e; 16.10.1d; 16.10.2; 16.10.1f; 16.10.1g; 16.10.3; 16.11.1; 16.11.1a; 16.11.1b; 16.11.2; 16.11.1s; 16.12.1; 16.12.1s; 16.12.1a; 16.12.1c; 16.12.1w; 16.12.2; 16.12.1y; 16.12.2a; 16.12.3; 16.12.8; 16.12.2s; 16.12.1x; 16.12.1t; 16.12.4; 16.12.3s; 16.12.3a; 16.12.4a; 16.12.5; 16.12.6; 16.12.1z1; 16.12.5a; 16.12.5b; 16.12.1z2; 16.12.6a; 16.12.7; 16.12.9; 16.12.10; 17.1.1; 17.1.1a; 17.1.1s; 17.1.1t; 17.1.3; 17.2.1; 17.2.1r; 17.2.1a; 17.2.1v; 17.2.2; 17.2.3; 17.3.1; 17.3.2; 17.3.3; 17.3.1a; 17.3.1w; 17.3.2a; 17.3.1x; 17.3.1z; 17.3.4; 17.3.5; 17.3.4a; 17.3.6; 17.3.4b; 17.3.4c; 17.3.5a; 17.3.5b; 17.3.7; 17.3.8; 17.4.1; 17.4.2; 17.4.1a; 17.4.1b; 17.4.2a; 17.5.1; 17.5.1a; 17.5.1b; 17.5.1c; 17.6.1; 17.6.2; 17.6.1w; 17.6.1a; 17.6.1x; 17.6.3; 17.6.1y; 17.6.1z; 17.6.3a; 17.6.4; 17.6.1z1; 17.6.5; 17.6.6; 17.7.1; 17.7.1a; 17.7.1b; 17.7.2; 17.10.1; 17.10.1a; 17.10.1b; 17.8.1; 17.8.1a; 17.9.1; 17.9.1w; 17.9.2; 17.9.1a; 17.9.1x; 17.9.1y; 17.9.3; 17.9.2a; 17.9.1x1; 17.9.3a; 17.9.4; 17.9.1y1; 17.11.1; 17.11.1a; 17.12.1; 17.12.1a; 17.11.99SW | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Cisco IOS XE Software VendorCisco Affected 16.1.1; 16.1.2; 16.1.3; 16.2.1; 16.2.2; 16.3.1; 16.3.2; 16.3.3; 16.3.1a; 16.3.4; 16.3.5; 16.3.5b; 16.3.6; 16.3.7; 16.3.8; 16.3.9; 16.3.10; 16.3.11; 16.4.1; 16.4.2; 16.4.3; 16.5.1; 16.5.1a; 16.5.1b; 16.5.2; 16.5.3; 16.6.1; 16.6.2; 16.6.3; 16.6.4; 16.6.5; 16.6.4a; 16.6.5a; 16.6.6; 16.6.7; 16.6.8; 16.6.9; 16.6.10; 16.7.1; 16.7.1a; 16.7.1b; 16.7.2; 16.7.3; 16.7.4; 16.8.1; 16.8.1a; 16.8.1b; 16.8.1s; 16.8.1c; 16.8.1d; 16.8.2; 16.8.1e; 16.8.3; 16.9.1; 16.9.2; 16.9.1a; 16.9.1b; 16.9.1s; 16.9.3; 16.9.4; 16.9.3a; 16.9.5; 16.9.5f; 16.9.6; 16.9.7; 16.9.8; 16.10.1; 16.10.1a; 16.10.1b; 16.10.1s; 16.10.1c; 16.10.1e; 16.10.1d; 16.10.2; 16.10.1f; 16.10.1g; 16.10.3; 16.11.1; 16.11.1a; 16.11.1b; 16.11.2; 16.11.1s; 16.12.1; 16.12.1s; 16.12.1a; 16.12.1c; 16.12.1w; 16.12.2; 16.12.1y; 16.12.2a; 16.12.3; 16.12.8; 16.12.2s; 16.12.1x; 16.12.1t; 16.12.4; 16.12.3s; 16.12.3a; 16.12.4a; 16.12.5; 16.12.6; 16.12.1z1; 16.12.5a; 16.12.5b; 16.12.1z2; 16.12.6a; 16.12.7; 16.12.9; 16.12.10; 17.1.1; 17.1.1a; 17.1.1s; 17.1.1t; 17.1.3; 17.2.1; 17.2.1r; 17.2.1a; 17.2.1v; 17.2.2; 17.2.3; 17.3.1; 17.3.2; 17.3.3; 17.3.1a; 17.3.1w; 17.3.2a; 17.3.1x; 17.3.1z; 17.3.4; 17.3.5; 17.3.4a; 17.3.6; 17.3.4b; 17.3.4c; 17.3.5a; 17.3.5b; 17.3.7; 17.3.8; 17.4.1; 17.4.2; 17.4.1a; 17.4.1b; 17.4.2a; 17.5.1; 17.5.1a; 17.5.1b; 17.5.1c; 17.6.1; 17.6.2; 17.6.1w; 17.6.1a; 17.6.1x; 17.6.3; 17.6.1y; 17.6.1z; 17.6.3a; 17.6.4; 17.6.1z1; 17.6.5; 17.6.6; 17.7.1; 17.7.1a; 17.7.1b; 17.7.2; 17.10.1; 17.10.1a; 17.10.1b; 17.8.1; 17.8.1a; 17.9.1; 17.9.1w; 17.9.2; 17.9.1a; 17.9.1x; 17.9.1y; 17.9.3; 17.9.2a; 17.9.1x1; 17.9.3a; 17.9.4; 17.9.1y1; 17.11.1; 17.11.1a; 17.12.1; 17.12.1a; 17.11.99SW Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 5
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5200_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 17.12.02 | Vulnerable | Rockwell |
| cpe:2.3:h:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5200:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Rockwell |
| cpe:2.3:o:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5800_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 17.12.02 | Vulnerable | Rockwell |
| cpe:2.3:h:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5800:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Rockwell |
| cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 16.12 to before 16.12.10a; 17.3 to before 17.3.8a; 17.6 to before 17.6.6a; 17.9 to before 17.9.4a | Vulnerable | Cisco |
- cpe:2.3:o:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5200_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 17.12.02 Vulnerable ·Rockwell
- cpe:2.3:h:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5200:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Rockwell
- cpe:2.3:o:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5800_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 17.12.02 Vulnerable ·Rockwell
- cpe:2.3:h:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5800:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Rockwell
- cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 16.12 to before 16.12.10a; 17.3 to before 17.3.8a; 17.6 to before 17.6.6a; 17.9 to before 17.9.4a Vulnerable ·Cisco
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2023-10-16 Added to CISA KEV
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-20198
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-4xrf-pcxr-rf3c
References
Advisory 1
More Cisco Ios Xe vulnerabilities
- TI-2018-00122 Memory corruption in Cisco IOS and IOS XE KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2017-02977 Improper input validation in Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2018-00135 Memory corruption in Cisco IOS, IOS XE, and IOS XR KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2017-04498 Memory corruption in Cisco IOS KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2017-04497 Memory corruption in Cisco IOS XE Software KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2017-04495 Memory corruption in Cisco IOS KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
Sources
- CVE-2023-20198 · CVE Program
- CVE-2023-20198 · NVD
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-4xrf-pcxr-rf3c · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences