Rv016 FirmwareOperating system · Cisco
CVE-2023-20144
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 · uneditedMultiple 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 confidenceMultiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities exist in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV series routers (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, RV325). The vulnerabilities stem from insufficient input validation, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to inject malicious scripts via crafted HTTP requests. Successful exploitation enables arbitrary script execution in the context of the affected interface or access to sensitive browser-based information.
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
all versions
Rv042 FirmwareOperating system
all versions
Rv042g FirmwareOperating system
all versions
Rv082 FirmwareOperating system
all versions
Rv320 FirmwareOperating system
all versions
Rv325 FirmwareOperating system
all versionsCVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify your router modelLocate the model number on the device label or check the web management interface header for the model designationAffected if The model is RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325
-
Confirm firmware versionLog into the web-based management interface and navigate to the status or system information page to view the installed firmware versionAffected if Any firmware version is installed (all versions are affected)
-
Determine web management interface accessibilityAttempt to access the router web interface from the network perspective you are evaluating (typically https://<device-ip>). Check if port 443 or 80 responds with the login pageAffected if The web-based management interface is reachable from the network being assessed
-
Check management interface exposure to untrusted networksReview network firewall rules, NAT configurations, or ACLs to determine if the router web management port is accessible from the internet or from untrusted/guest network segmentsAffected if The management interface is exposed to networks outside your trusted internal network
-
Inspect HTTP request logs for suspicious activityReview router logs or any available WAF/IPS logs for unusual query parameters, script tags, or encoded payloads in HTTP requests to the routerAffected if Malicious XSS payloads are observed in traffic logs targeting the router
You are affected if you operate any RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325 router AND the web management interface is accessible from an untrusted network or you observe XSS payloads in your logs.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedSince Cisco has not released software updates, mitigate by restricting management interface access to trusted networks only, implementing network segmentation, and deploying WAF/IPS rules to detect and block malicious HTTP requests. Consider replacing affected devices with supported hardware.
- Since Cisco has not released software updates to address these vulnerabilities (as stated in the official description), no direct remediation path exists from the vendor.
- If network access to the router's web-based management interface is not required from the internet, restrict exposure using firewall rules or access control lists to prevent unauthenticated attackers from reaching the device.
- If remote management is required, consider using a VPN to access the management interface rather than exposing it directly to the internet, reducing the attack surface for unauthenticated attackers.
- Monitor Cisco security advisories for future firmware releases that may address these XSS vulnerabilities.
- Educate users about the risks of following links to management interfaces, as the vulnerability requires user interaction (persuading a user to visit malicious pages).
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Rv016 Firmware
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-20144 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-20144 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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