CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2023-20124 — Cisco Rv016 Firmware security vulnerability

High CVSS 7.2

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user input within incoming HTTP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain root-level privileges and access unauthorized data. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to have valid administrative credentials on the affected device. Cisco has not released software updates that address this vulnerability.

Severity
High
CVSS
7.2 (3.1)
Published
2023-04-05
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
operating-system
Weaknesses
CWE-77

Affected products

  • cisco / rv016_firmware
  • cisco / rv042_firmware
  • cisco / rv042g_firmware
  • cisco / rv082_firmware
  • cisco / rv320_firmware
  • cisco / rv325_firmware

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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