dbcve.org
Rv016 FirmwareOperating system · Cisco

CVE-2023-20147

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). Due to insufficient input validation, unauthenticated remote attackers can inject malicious JavaScript payloads via crafted HTTP requests. When authenticated users access affected pages, the payload executes in their browser context, enabling session hijacking or sensitive data exfiltration.

MitigationSince Cisco has not released patches, restrict web management interface access to trusted management networks only, disable remote management if feasible, or replace end-of-life devices. Implement WAF rules to filter XSS attack patterns in HTTP requests targeting the interface.

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 Cisco RV series router models on your network
    Inventory your network devices and check for Cisco RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325 routers. Access the device web UI or use network scanning to confirm the exact model number.
    Affected if Any of the listed models (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, RV325) are present on the network, regardless of firmware version, because all firmware versions are affected.
  2. Confirm web-based management interface is enabled
    Access the router admin panel or check via CLI command 'show running-config' looking for 'http server' or 'https server' configuration lines indicating the web interface is active.
    Affected if The web-based management interface (HTTP or HTTPS) is enabled on the device.
  3. Check if remote management access is permitted
    In the router web UI, navigate to Administration > Remote Management (or equivalent). Verify whether 'Enable' is selected for remote access. Alternatively, check the configuration for 'ip http server' or 'ip https server' with non-local interface bindings.
    Affected if Remote management access is enabled, allowing unauthenticated attackers to send crafted HTTP requests from the WAN side.
  4. Review HTTP request logs for suspicious input patterns
    Examine router logs or any WAF/IDS logs for HTTP requests containing script tags, JavaScript event handlers, or XSS payloads targeting common web management parameters.
    Affected if Unexpected or malicious input patterns appear in logs, indicating potential exploitation attempts.

If any Cisco RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325 router with the web management interface enabled is present on your network, you are affected by this CVE since all firmware versions contain the stored 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, restrict web management interface access to trusted management networks only, disable remote management if feasible, or replace end-of-life devices. Implement WAF rules to filter XSS attack patterns in HTTP requests targeting the interface.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. Accept the risk or retire/replace affected devices, as Cisco has not released software updates for these vulnerabilities.
  2. If the device must remain in service, isolate the router's web management interface behind a firewall or VPN to restrict unauthorized access.
  3. Disable remote web management if not required, limiting access to the local network only.
  4. If remote management is required, restrict access to trusted IP addresses only via access control lists.
  5. Monitor Cisco security advisories for future updates on these vulnerabilities.
Caveat No software updates are available from Cisco for these end-of-life devices. Consider migrating to a currently supported Cisco Small Business router model.

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

Fix this in Rv016 Firmware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2023-20147 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