CVE-2023-20145 in Small Business RV016
Summary
by MITRE • 04/05/2023
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 Routers could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks against a user of the interface. These vulnerabilities are due to insufficient input validation by the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device and then persuading a user to visit specific web pages that include malicious payloads. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or access sensitive, browser-based information. Cisco has not released software updates that address these vulnerabilities.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-20145 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple Cisco Small Business routers including RV016 RV042 RV042G RV082 RV320 and RV325 models. This security weakness resides within the web-based management interface of these network devices, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by unauthenticated remote threat actors. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before processing or rendering within the web interface context. Such insufficient validation allows malicious payloads to be injected and subsequently executed within the browser context of authenticated users who interact with the compromised management interface.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a classic XSS attack pattern where an attacker crafts malicious HTTP requests designed to inject malicious script code into the router's web interface. These crafted requests leverage the insufficient input validation to bypass security controls that should normally prevent the execution of unauthorized code. The attack vector specifically targets the web-based management interface which serves as the primary point of access for administrators to configure and manage router settings. When a user visits web pages containing these malicious payloads or interacts with compromised interface elements, the injected scripts execute in the victim's browser context with the privileges and access levels of the authenticated user session. This creates a dangerous scenario where attackers can potentially escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized access to sensitive network configuration data.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-20145 extends beyond simple script execution capabilities as it provides attackers with the ability to access sensitive browser-based information that may include session tokens cookies or other authentication credentials. This vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where network administrators regularly access router management interfaces to configure critical network infrastructure. The attack requires social engineering elements to convince users to visit malicious pages or click on compromised links, but once successful the consequences can be severe. Attackers could potentially establish persistent access to network configurations, modify routing tables, change administrative credentials, or even redirect traffic through compromised router interfaces. The lack of available software updates from Cisco for this vulnerability leaves affected organizations without immediate remediation options, creating an extended window of exposure for potential exploitation.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws in web applications and represents a fundamental breakdown in input sanitization controls. The attack pattern follows established techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 sub-technique for scripting and T1566 for social engineering. Organizations affected by this vulnerability should consider implementing network segmentation to isolate critical router management interfaces, deploying web application firewalls to filter suspicious traffic patterns, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect anomalous access attempts to router management interfaces. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough security assessments of their network infrastructure to identify all affected devices and implement temporary mitigations such as restricting access to management interfaces from trusted networks only. The absence of official patches from Cisco emphasizes the importance of proactive security measures and the need for organizations to maintain robust incident response capabilities when dealing with unpatched vulnerabilities in critical network infrastructure components.