dbcve.org
Rv016 FirmwareOperating system · Cisco

CVE-2023-20149

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 in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV series routers (RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, RV325) allow unauthenticated remote attackers to inject malicious script payloads via crafted HTTP requests. When users access affected management pages, the malicious code executes in their browser context, enabling session hijacking or sensitive information theft.

MitigationSince Cisco has not released patches for these end-of-life devices, implement compensating controls: restrict management interface access to trusted networks only, deploy WAF rules to filter XSS payloads, and consider replacing affected routers with supported models.

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 router web-based management interface and look for the model number displayed on the login page or in the status/dashboard section, or check the physical device label
    Affected if The device is one of: RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, or RV325
  2. Check the firmware version
    In the router management interface, navigate to Administration > Firmware or Status section and note the installed firmware version
    Affected if Any firmware version is installed, since all versions are affected according to the CVE
  3. Confirm web management interface is accessible
    Verify if the router web-based management interface (HTTP/HTTPS on ports 80, 443, or custom ports) is reachable from network segments that are not fully trusted
    Affected if The management interface is exposed to untrusted or external networks, as the vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to inject payloads
  4. Inspect management pages for unexpected script content
    Log into the router management interface and manually review common configuration pages (such as DNS settings, hostname configuration, or VPN settings) for any unexpected script tags, encoded characters, or foreign JavaScript code that you did not intentionally configure
    Affected if Any unrecognized script tags or malicious-looking code is present in the router configuration pages

If the router model is one of the affected RV series and its management interface is accessible, the environment is likely affected by this 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 for these end-of-life devices, implement compensating controls: restrict management interface access to trusted networks only, deploy WAF rules to filter XSS payloads, and consider replacing affected routers with supported models.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. No vendor-provided software update is available for this vulnerability according to Cisco's official advisory.
  2. Consider network segmentation to limit exposure of the affected device's management interface.
  3. Restrict access to the web-based management interface to trusted networks or use VPN access only.
  4. Monitor Cisco security advisories for future updates on these end-of-life products.
  5. Evaluate migrating to a supported router model as these devices reach end-of-life.

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-2023-20149 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