CVE-2023-20128 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-2023-20128 vulnerability represents a critical command injection flaw in Cisco Small Business RV320 and RV325 dual gigabit WAN VPN routers, exposing devices to remote exploitation by authenticated attackers. These routers operate on a Linux-based operating system and provide enterprise-grade networking capabilities including dual gigabit WAN connections and VPN functionality. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms within the web-based management interface, creating a pathway for malicious command execution that could compromise the entire device. This flaw fundamentally undermines the security posture of affected networks, as it allows attackers with administrative credentials to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code with root-level access to the underlying Linux system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input within the web management interface components. Attackers can craft malicious payloads that bypass input validation checks and inject commands directly into the router's operating system. This type of vulnerability maps directly to CWE-77 and CWE-94, which classify command injection and code injection flaws respectively. The attack vector requires an authenticated session with administrative privileges, making it less accessible than unauthenticated exploits but still highly dangerous given the elevated privileges available. The exploitation process typically involves crafting HTTP requests with malicious command parameters that are then processed by the router's web server without proper sanitization, leading to arbitrary code execution on the Linux kernel level.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-20128 extends far beyond simple unauthorized access, as successful exploitation grants attackers complete control over the affected router's operating system. This root-level access enables adversaries to modify network configurations, establish persistent backdoors, monitor network traffic, and potentially use the compromised device as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network. The vulnerability affects organizations that rely on these routers for their network infrastructure, potentially exposing sensitive corporate data and creating attack vectors for broader network infiltration. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques such as T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1566 (Phishing), as attackers can leverage the compromised device to conduct further network reconnaissance and lateral movement operations.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability must implement immediate mitigations to protect their network infrastructure. The primary defense mechanism involves restricting administrative access to the web interface through network segmentation and implementing strict access controls. Network administrators should consider disabling the web management interface entirely and relying on secure shell (SSH) access with strong authentication mechanisms. Additionally, implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous command execution patterns and unusual network traffic originating from the affected devices can provide early warning capabilities. The lack of official software updates from Cisco necessitates these defensive measures, as organizations cannot rely on vendor-provided patches. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all affected devices within their network infrastructure and implement network access controls to limit potential attack surface exposure.