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Vulnerabilities

HighKEV

CVE-2023-20273 — Cisco IOS XE Web UI Command Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2023-20273 · Cisco IOS XE Software · CVSS 7.2 · KEV

In brief

Severity · CVSS
High7.2CVSS 3.1, High
EPSS
90%
CISA KEV
Known exploited, listed since 23 Oct 2023
CERT-FR
No advisory or alert referenced in the catalog
Vendor
Cisco
Published · Modified
·
Last verified

Summary

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.

Weakness: CWE-78

Title, description and the vendor's statements are quoted from the CVE record; a vendor's advisory is summarised in Patcharo's words, with a link.

Affected and fixed versions

Per product and release branch, as the vendor's CVE record and official advisory state them. A fixed release is shown only when a document names it: the vendor's, or CERT-FR's for Check Point, with its source.

4 branches with a published fixed release · 20 branches without a precise fixed release

Cisco IOS XE Software

Source: CVE-2023-20273cisco-sa-iosxe-webui-privesc-j22SaA4z

  1. 17.12
    Affected versions17.12.1, 17.12.1a
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  2. 17.11
    Affected versions17.11.1, 17.11.1a
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  3. 17.10
    Affected versions17.10.1, 17.10.1a, 17.10.1b
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  4. 17.9
    Affected versions17.9.1, 17.9.1a, 17.9.1w, 17.9.1x
    10 releases listed17.9.1, 17.9.1a, 17.9.1w, 17.9.1x, 17.9.1y, 17.9.2, 17.9.2a, 17.9.3, 17.9.3a, 17.9.4
    First fixed release17.9.4a
  5. 17.8
    Affected versions17.8.1, 17.8.1a
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  6. 17.7
    Affected versions17.7.1, 17.7.1a, 17.7.1b, 17.7.2
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  7. 17.6
    Affected versions17.6.1, 17.6.1a, 17.6.1w, 17.6.1x
    12 releases listed17.6.1, 17.6.1a, 17.6.1w, 17.6.1x, 17.6.1y, 17.6.1z, 17.6.2, 17.6.3, 17.6.3a, 17.6.4, 17.6.5, 17.6.6
    First fixed release17.6.6a
  8. 17.5
    Affected versions17.5.1, 17.5.1a, 17.5.1b, 17.5.1c
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  9. 17.4
    Affected versions17.4.1, 17.4.1a, 17.4.1b, 17.4.2
    5 releases listed17.4.1, 17.4.1a, 17.4.1b, 17.4.2, 17.4.2a
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  10. 17.3
    Affected versions17.3.1, 17.3.1a, 17.3.1w, 17.3.1x
    18 releases listed17.3.1, 17.3.1a, 17.3.1w, 17.3.1x, 17.3.1z, 17.3.2, 17.3.2a, 17.3.3, 17.3.4, 17.3.4a, 17.3.4b, 17.3.4c, 17.3.5, 17.3.5a, 17.3.5b, 17.3.6, 17.3.7, 17.3.8
    First fixed release17.3.8a
  11. 17.2
    Affected versions17.2.1, 17.2.1a, 17.2.1r, 17.2.1v
    6 releases listed17.2.1, 17.2.1a, 17.2.1r, 17.2.1v, 17.2.2, 17.2.3
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  12. 17.1
    Affected versions17.1.1, 17.1.1a, 17.1.1s, 17.1.1t
    5 releases listed17.1.1, 17.1.1a, 17.1.1s, 17.1.1t, 17.1.3
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  13. 16.12
    Affected versions16.12.1, 16.12.1a, 16.12.1c, 16.12.1s
    25 releases listed16.12.1, 16.12.1a, 16.12.1c, 16.12.1s, 16.12.1t, 16.12.1w, 16.12.1x, 16.12.1y, 16.12.2, 16.12.2a, 16.12.2s, 16.12.3, 16.12.3a, 16.12.3s, 16.12.4, 16.12.4a, 16.12.5, 16.12.5a, 16.12.5b, 16.12.6, 16.12.6a, 16.12.7, 16.12.8, 16.12.9, 16.12.10
    Catalyst 3650 and 3850 only
    First fixed release16.12.10a
  14. 16.11
    Affected versions16.11.1, 16.11.1a, 16.11.1b, 16.11.1s
    5 releases listed16.11.1, 16.11.1a, 16.11.1b, 16.11.1s, 16.11.2
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  15. 16.10
    Affected versions16.10.1, 16.10.1a, 16.10.1b, 16.10.1c
    11 releases listed16.10.1, 16.10.1a, 16.10.1b, 16.10.1c, 16.10.1d, 16.10.1e, 16.10.1f, 16.10.1g, 16.10.1s, 16.10.2, 16.10.3
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  16. 16.9
    Affected versions16.9.1, 16.9.1a, 16.9.1b, 16.9.1s
    13 releases listed16.9.1, 16.9.1a, 16.9.1b, 16.9.1s, 16.9.2, 16.9.3, 16.9.3a, 16.9.4, 16.9.5, 16.9.5f, 16.9.6, 16.9.7, 16.9.8
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  17. 16.8
    Affected versions16.8.1, 16.8.1a, 16.8.1b, 16.8.1c
    9 releases listed16.8.1, 16.8.1a, 16.8.1b, 16.8.1c, 16.8.1d, 16.8.1e, 16.8.1s, 16.8.2, 16.8.3
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  18. 16.7
    Affected versions16.7.1, 16.7.1a, 16.7.1b, 16.7.2
    6 releases listed16.7.1, 16.7.1a, 16.7.1b, 16.7.2, 16.7.3, 16.7.4
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  19. 16.6
    Affected versions16.6.1, 16.6.2, 16.6.3, 16.6.4
    12 releases listed16.6.1, 16.6.2, 16.6.3, 16.6.4, 16.6.4a, 16.6.5, 16.6.5a, 16.6.6, 16.6.7, 16.6.8, 16.6.9, 16.6.10
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  20. 16.5
    Affected versions16.5.1, 16.5.1a, 16.5.1b, 16.5.2
    5 releases listed16.5.1, 16.5.1a, 16.5.1b, 16.5.2, 16.5.3
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  21. 16.4
    Affected versions16.4.1, 16.4.2, 16.4.3
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  22. 16.3
    Affected versions16.3.1, 16.3.1a, 16.3.2, 16.3.3
    13 releases listed16.3.1, 16.3.1a, 16.3.2, 16.3.3, 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
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  23. 16.2
    Affected versions16.2.1, 16.2.2
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed
  24. 16.1
    Affected versions16.1.1, 16.1.2, 16.1.3
    First fixed releaseNot published in the sources followed

Remediation

Fix available

Vendor fix

  • IOS XE Software 17.917.9.4a
  • IOS XE Software 17.617.6.6a
  • IOS XE Software 17.317.3.8a
  • IOS XE Software 16.1216.12.10a

Upgrade to a fixed release listed above for your branch, or to a later fixed release the vendor explicitly supports.

Cisco has released updates that fix this vulnerability; its advisory lists them.

SourceCisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-iosxe-webui-privesc-j22SaA4z

Workarounds (vendor)

Cisco states in its advisory that no workaround is available.

SourceCisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-iosxe-webui-privesc-j22SaA4z

CISA KEV required action

Verify that instances of Cisco IOS XE Web UI are in compliance with BOD 23-02 and apply mitigations per vendor instructions. For affected products (Cisco IOS XE Web UI exposed to the internet or to untrusted networks), follow vendor instructions to determine if a system may have been compromised and immediately report positive findings to CISA.

CISA due date:

SourceCISA KEV

Last verified 1 Oct 2026 at 09:29 UTC

Known exploitation

Added to CISA KEV on 23 Oct 2023

Federal remediation due date: 27 Oct 2023

The CISA required action is shown under Remediation.

90% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (percentile 100%).

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CERT-FR

No CERT-FR advisory or alert of the last two years references this CVE, for the vendors Patcharo covers.

Timeline

  1. Added to CISA KEV
  2. Published by the source
  3. CISA remediation due date
  4. Source record last modified
  5. EPSS score computed
  6. Last verified by Patcharo

Official sources

References

Cisco · CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities · NVD · FIRST EPSS · Cisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-iosxe-webui-privesc-j22SaA4z

How Patcharo reads this

Affected and fixed releases come from the vendor's structured statements and are matched against exact versions; CVSS from NVD, exploitation from CISA KEV and the vendor's own advisory, probability from FIRST EPSS. Missing data stays Unknown and never becomes Not affected.

Read the methodologyRead the guide: Cisco Secure Firewall release trains: Threat Defense, Management Center and ASA versions explained