CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2023-20045 — Cisco Rv160 Vpn Router Firmware security vulnerability

High CVSS 7.2

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV160 and RV260 Series VPN Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the web-based management interface of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands using root-level privileges on the affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid Administrator-level credentials on the affected device.

Severity
High
CVSS
7.2 (3.1)
Published
2023-01-20
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
operating-system
Weaknesses
CWE-77, CWE-20

Affected products

  • cisco / rv160_vpn_router_firmware
  • cisco / rv160w_wireless-ac_vpn_router_firmware
  • cisco / rv260_vpn_router_firmware
  • cisco / rv260p_vpn_router_with_poe_firmware

Showing 4 representative product identities from 5 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

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Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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