CVE-2023-20117 in Small Business RV320
Summary
by MITRE • 04/05/2023
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV320 and RV325 Dual Gigabit WAN VPN Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system of an affected device. These vulnerabilities are due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending malicious input to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as the root user on the underlying Linux operating system of the affected device. To exploit these vulnerabilities, an attacker would need to have valid Administrator credentials on the affected device. Cisco has not released software updates to address these vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2025
The CVE-2023-20117 vulnerabilities affect Cisco Small Business RV320 and RV325 dual gigabit WAN VPN routers, representing a critical security flaw in their web-based management interfaces. These devices operate on a Linux-based operating system and serve as network gateways for small businesses, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking persistent network access. The vulnerabilities stem from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the router's web management interface, creating pathways for command injection attacks that could compromise the entire network infrastructure.
The technical flaw manifests as insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input parameters within the web interface, allowing an authenticated attacker to inject malicious commands that execute with root privileges on the underlying Linux system. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-74 which describes "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component" and more specifically relates to CWE-94 which addresses "Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')." The attack vector requires an attacker to possess valid administrative credentials, but once obtained, the exploitation chain becomes straightforward due to the lack of proper input validation controls.
Operationally, these vulnerabilities pose significant risks to affected organizations as they enable remote code execution with the highest possible privileges. An attacker could leverage these flaws to install backdoors, modify network configurations, redirect traffic, or establish persistent access points within the network. The impact extends beyond individual device compromise since these routers often serve as central network gateways, potentially providing attackers with access to entire internal networks. The absence of available patches from Cisco creates a prolonged window of exposure for affected deployments, particularly concerning organizations that may not regularly update their network infrastructure components.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting administrative access to these devices through network segmentation, implementing strict firewall rules limiting access to management interfaces, and monitoring for unusual network activity that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary web management services when possible and ensure that only trusted personnel have administrative credentials. The ATT&CK framework categorizes these vulnerabilities under T1059.001 "Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell" and T1078.004 "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts" when considering the lateral movement and persistence aspects of such attacks. Additionally, implementing network intrusion detection systems with signatures specific to known command injection patterns can help detect exploitation attempts before they succeed.