dbcve.org
Rv016 FirmwareOperating system · Cisco

CVE-2023-20142

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 XSS vulnerabilities in Cisco Small Business RV series routers (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, RV325) allow unauthenticated remote attackers to inject malicious scripts via crafted HTTP requests. Successful exploitation requires tricking a user into visiting a page that triggers the injected payload, enabling execution of arbitrary script code in the context of the web interface or exfiltration of sensitive browser-based information.

MitigationSince Cisco has not released patches, implement compensating controls: restrict web management interface access to trusted networks or localhost only, disable remote web management if not required, and educate users about avoiding malicious links. Consider network segmentation or router replacement if exposure is unavoidable.

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
    Access the router web interface or check the device label/menu to confirm the exact model number (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325)
    Affected if The model is any of RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325 and the web interface is accessible
  2. Confirm firmware version
    Log into the router web interface and navigate to Status or System Summary page to view the installed firmware version
    Affected if Any firmware version is installed (all versions are affected)
  3. Check web management interface accessibility
    Attempt to access the router web interface over HTTP/HTTPS from a test system using the router IP address
    Affected if The web interface responds and is reachable on the network
  4. Verify remote management configuration
    In the router web interface, go to Administration > Remote Management or similar section to see if remote access is enabled
    Affected if Remote web management is enabled and the interface is accessible from untrusted networks
  5. Assess network exposure
    Review firewall rules or network ACLs to determine if the router web management port (typically 80/443) is exposed to the internet or untrusted networks
    Affected if The web management interface is reachable from outside trusted networks

If the router is any of the affected RV series models and its web management interface is accessible from the network (especially if remote management is enabled), the environment is vulnerable to CVE-2023-20142 XSS attacks.

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 or localhost only, disable remote web management if not required, and educate users about avoiding malicious links. Consider network segmentation or router replacement if exposure is unavoidable.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. Cisco has not released software updates to address these vulnerabilities.
  2. Implement network segmentation to limit exposure of the management interface to trusted networks only.
  3. Restrict access to the web-based management interface using firewall rules or ACLs.
  4. Monitor for suspicious HTTP requests targeting the affected devices.
  5. Educate users about the risks of clicking untrusted links, though this does not mitigate the underlying vulnerability.

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

Fix this in Rv016 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
36.0 hours of engineering $6,400
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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-2023-20142 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