CVE-2022-20723Network attack vector

Root code execution via unsanitized activation parameters

Published Apr 15, 2022 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Code injection in Cisco IOx on affected Cisco IOS platforms allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code as root. The application-activation path incompletely sanitizes parameters from a crafted activation payload before passing them to the host environment. Exploitation requires high-privilege IOx access to deploy and activate an application, after which supplied parameters run with root privileges on the device.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability2.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Code injection in Cisco IOx on affected Cisco IOS platforms allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code as root. The application-activation path incompletely sanitizes parameters from a crafted activation payload before passing them to the host environment. Exploitation requires high-privilege IOx access to deploy and activate an application, after which supplied parameters run with root privileges on the device.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-20723
Published
Apr 15, 2022
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco IOS
Classifications
CWE-250, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 15, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco IOSversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

7.2NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5CiscoCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
9.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
5.5Orange CERT-CCCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-250Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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