Strix
26.1K

CVE-2023-20198

CRITICALCVSS 10/10Actively ExploitedEPSS 99.57%

Last modified

CVE-2023-20198 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 10/10 on the CVSS scale. 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. CISA has confirmed active exploitation in the wild. EPSS estimates a 99.57% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
10/10

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

EPSS Probability
99.57%

99.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Exploitation Status

This vulnerability is listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies must remediate by .

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
RockwellautomationAllen-Bradley Stratix 5200 Firmware< 17.12.02
RockwellautomationAllen-Bradley Stratix 5800 Firmware< 17.12.02
CiscoIos Xe>= 16.12, < 16.12.10a
CiscoIos Xe>= 17.3, < 17.3.8a
CiscoIos Xe>= 17.6, < 17.6.6a
CiscoIos Xe>= 17.9, < 17.9.4a

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-20198?
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.
How severe is CVE-2023-20198?
CVE-2023-20198 has a CVSS score of 10/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 99.57% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
How do I fix CVE-2023-20198?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2023-20198?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST