dbcve.org
Rv016 FirmwareOperating system · Cisco

CVE-2023-20026

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-01-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
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.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a command injection vulnerability in Cisco Small Business RV series routers (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, RV325). The web-based management interface fails to properly validate user input within HTTP packets, allowing an authenticated attacker with administrative credentials to inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands with root-level privileges.

MitigationApply the available Cisco firmware update for affected router models. Until patched, restrict access to the web management interface to trusted networks only, use strong administrative credentials, and disable remote management if not required.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Rv016 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Rv042 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Rv042g FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Rv082 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the router model
    Access the router's web management interface and navigate to Status > System Summary, or check the device label/hardware markings to confirm the model number is one of: RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325
    Affected if The model is any of RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325
  2. Confirm firmware version
    In the web interface, go to Status > System Summary or Administration > Firmware Upgrade to view the installed firmware version. Compare against the affected range.
    Affected if All firmware versions are affected for the listed models, so any version confirms exposure
  3. Verify web management interface is enabled
    In the web interface, go to Administration > Management > HTTP/HTTPS to check if the web-based management interface is enabled
    Affected if HTTP or HTTPS management is enabled - this is the attack surface for the vulnerability
  4. Check if remote management is accessible
    In the web interface, go to Administration > Management > Remote Management to determine if the management interface is accessible from the WAN/internet side, or test connectivity to ports 80/443 from an external network
    Affected if Remote management is enabled and the interface is reachable from outside trusted networks - this increases exposure to unauthenticated network attackers (though the CVE requires authenticated access)
  5. Review administrative account access
    Check Administration > User Management to enumerate administrative accounts. Determine if weak or default credentials are in use, or if the administrative interface is accessible to untrusted users
    Affected if The web management interface is accessible to users who may have obtained administrative credentials

You are affected if you have any of these router models (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, RV325) with the web management interface enabled, as all firmware versions contain the vulnerability.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the available Cisco firmware update for affected router models. Until patched, restrict access to the web management interface to trusted networks only, use strong administrative credentials, and disable remote management if not required.

Fix this in Rv016 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-20026 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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