Is CVE-2023-20273 actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2023-20273 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed.

Can CVE-2023-20273 be exploited remotely?

The attack vector of CVE-2023-20273 has not been classified yet.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-20273?

CVE-2023-20273 has not received a CVSS score yet.

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-20273

HIGHCISA KEVIN THE WILD

CVE-2023-20273

Published: October 23, 2023

EPSS:92.38%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:99.7th

Official Description

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.

NVD Source

CISA KEV Advisory

Cisco IOS XE Web UI Command Injection Vulnerability

Added to KEV: 2023-10-23Federal patch deadline: 2023-10-27

Required Action (CISA)

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.

Risk Analysis

This command injection vulnerability in the web user interface of Cisco IOS XE can be chained with another vulnerability (CVE-2023-20198) to achieve root privilege escalation and deploy implants. The very high EPSS score of 0.92384 indicates a strong likelihood of exploitation. This vulnerability is confirmed to be actively exploited in the wild.

This vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. It has been used to deploy implants on affected systems.

Recommended Action

Cisco IOS XE administrators should apply the latest security updates and patches from Cisco. Implement strong access controls for the web user interface and monitor for suspicious activity.

Generated by the CTIWATCH analysis pipeline from this CVE's metadata (CVSS, EPSS, KEV status, exploit intelligence). Verify against vendor advisories before acting.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-20273 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

CISA has added CVE-2023-20273 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. U.S. federal agencies are required to patch this within the mandated timeframe, and all organizations should treat remediation as urgent.