dbcve.org
Rv016 FirmwareOperating system · Cisco

CVE-2023-20137

MEDIUM · 6.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-05
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
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.

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

Multiple stored XSS vulnerabilities exist in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV series routers (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, RV325). Attackers can inject malicious script payloads via crafted HTTP requests due to insufficient input validation. When authenticated users access affected pages, the malicious scripts execute in their browser context, enabling session hijacking or sensitive information theft.

MitigationSince Cisco has not released patches, organizations should immediately restrict access to the router management interface by blocking it from untrusted networks (including the internet), implement strict firewall rules or ACLs permitting management access only from trusted IPs, and consider network segmentation or replacement of affected devices.

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
Rv320 FirmwareOperating system
Affected:all versions
Rv325 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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

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

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 router model
    Log into the web-based management interface and check the footer or System Summary page for the exact model number (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325)
    Affected if The model is one of RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325
  2. Confirm web management interface is enabled
    Attempt to access the router web interface via HTTP (port 80) or HTTPS (port 443) using the router's IP address
    Affected if The web management interface responds and accepts authentication
  3. Check firmware version
    In the web interface, navigate to Administration > Firmware Upgrade or System Summary to view the installed firmware version
    Affected if Any firmware version is installed on the affected models (all versions are vulnerable)
  4. Assess network exposure
    Determine if the router management interface is accessible from untrusted networks by reviewing firewall rules, port forwards, or NAT configurations that allow external access to ports 80/443
    Affected if The management interface is reachable from untrusted networks or the internet

You are affected if you run any firmware version on a Cisco RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325 router and the web management interface is accessible, especially from untrusted networks.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Since Cisco has not released patches, organizations should immediately restrict access to the router management interface by blocking it from untrusted networks (including the internet), implement strict firewall rules or ACLs permitting management access only from trusted IPs, and consider network segmentation or replacement of affected devices.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. No vendor-provided fix is available. Cisco has not released software updates for these vulnerabilities.
  2. Monitor Cisco security advisories (sec.cloudapps.cisco.com) for future firmware releases that address these XSS vulnerabilities.
  3. Consider network-level mitigations such as restricting access to the web-based management interface to trusted IP addresses only via ACLs or firewall rules.
  4. If the web management interface is not required for daily operations, consider disabling it and using out-of-band management methods.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Rv016 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2023-20137 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data