Telepresence Management SuiteApplication · Cisco
CVE-2023-20248
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 · uneditedA vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco TelePresence Management Suite (TMS) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation by the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by inserting malicious data in a specific data field in the interface. 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.
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 confidenceCross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Cisco TelePresence Management Suite web-based management interface due to insufficient input validation. Authenticated attacker can inject malicious script into a specific data field, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected interface, potentially stealing session cookies or other 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
Telepresence Management SuiteApplication
< 15.13.6CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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.
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Identify Cisco TMS installationCheck for Cisco TelePresence Management Suite by reviewing installed software on the system, or by accessing the web interface URL (commonly https://<hostname>/tms or https://<hostname>). If TMS is present, note the server hostname/IP.Affected if Cisco TelePresence Management Suite is installed and accessible via web interface
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Determine installed TMS versionLog into the TMS web-based management interface as an administrator. Navigate to 'Administration' > 'About' or 'System' > 'Server' to view the software version. Alternatively, check release notes or the TMS installer if you have access to the server filesystem.Affected if The installed version is shown as lower than 15.13.6 (for example, 15.12.x, 15.11.x, or earlier)
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Verify web interface is enabledConfirm the TMS web-based management interface is accessible by attempting to reach the TMS URL in a browser or via curl/http request. Check that the HTTP/HTTPS service for TMS is running on the server.Affected if The web interface is accessible and responds to requests, indicating TMS is actively serving the vulnerable management UI
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Check authentication statusDetermine whether TMS user authentication is configured and active. Review whether local users or external authentication (such as Active Directory integration) is enabled in 'Administration' > 'User Administration' or 'System' > 'User Settings'.Affected if Authentication is enabled (this is required for the authenticated XSS attack vector)
You are affected if Cisco TelePresence Management Suite is installed with a version lower than 15.13.6 and the web-based management interface is accessible with authentication enabled.
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 · scoped15.13.6
Apply Cisco's official patch when available; implement output encoding and input validation on all user-supplied fields in the TMS interface as an interim measure.
15.13.6
- 1. Identify the current version of Cisco TelePresence Management Suite (TMS) installed by accessing the TMS web interface or using the admin console
- 2. Create a complete backup of the TMS configuration and database according to Cisco backup procedures
- 3. Download Cisco TMS version 15.13.6 or later from the official Cisco software download center (requires valid Cisco service contract)
- 4. Review the Cisco TMS upgrade guide for version 15.13.6 for any prerequisites or migration steps
- 5. Apply the upgrade following Cisco's standard upgrade procedure for the TMS platform
- 6. After upgrade completion, verify the new version is 15.13.6 or later by checking the TMS web interface or admin console
- 7. Test the TMS functionality to ensure the upgrade was successful
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Telepresence Management Suite
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $4,480.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-20248 — 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-2023-20248 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
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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