dbcve.org
Rv016 FirmwareOperating system · Cisco

CVE-2023-20138

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

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 routers due to insufficient input validation. Unauthenticated remote attackers can inject malicious scripts via crafted HTTP requests that execute in the context of the affected interface when users visit malicious pages.

MitigationSince Cisco has not released patches, implement compensating controls: restrict web management interface access to trusted networks only, disable remote management on WAN-facing interfaces, deploy a WAF in front of the device, or replace end-of-life devices with supported hardware.

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 the router model
    Access the device admin page or check the physical device label to confirm the exact model number (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325).
    Affected if The device is any of the listed models (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325).
  2. Check if the web-based management interface is enabled
    Log into the router administration panel and navigate to the management settings. Look for options like 'Web-Based Management', 'HTTP Management', or 'HTTPS Management' under Administration or Management sections.
    Affected if The web-based management interface is enabled and accessible.
  3. Determine if remote management is allowed on WAN interfaces
    In the router admin panel, locate the 'Remote Management' or 'Administration > Management Access' settings. Check whether 'Enable' is selected for WAN/WEB access, or note any IP restrictions that allow external access.
    Affected if Remote management is enabled for WAN-facing interfaces or allows access from untrusted networks.
  4. Verify network accessibility of the management interface
    Attempt to access the router's web interface from an external network (if safe to do so), or review firewall rules to determine if TCP ports 80/443 are open to the WAN interface.
    Affected if The web management interface is reachable from untrusted/external networks.

If the device is any Cisco RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325 router with the web-based management interface exposed to untrusted networks, the environment is affected by this XSS 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.

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

Since Cisco has not released patches, implement compensating controls: restrict web management interface access to trusted networks only, disable remote management on WAN-facing interfaces, deploy a WAF in front of the device, or replace end-of-life devices with supported hardware.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. Implement network-level access controls to restrict access to the router's web-based management interface to trusted networks only
  2. Consider placing the management interface behind a VPN or jump host rather than exposing it directly to the internet
  3. Disable remote management access entirely if not required, restricting access to internal networks only
  4. Monitor the Cisco Small Business RV series security advisories at sec.cloudapps.cisco.com for any future updates or replacement guidance
  5. If the device has reached end-of-support, consider migrating to a currently supported router model
Caveat Cisco has not released software updates for these vulnerabilities. The affected routers (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, RV325) have not been patched and no fix version is available.

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

Fix this in Rv016 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
27.0 hours of engineering $4,800
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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-2023-20138 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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