CVE-2023-20065Public exploit

Local root execution via anonymous CAF Telnet

Published Mar 23, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Privilege escalation in Cisco IOS XE Software allows local users with IOx application access to execute commands as root on the device. The CAF module exposes anonymous Telnet access from a hosted application's container network, and that service grants a root shell. IOx is disabled by default; exploitation requires a vulnerable release, an enabled IOx environment, a running hosted application, and administrator access inside its container.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Cisco IOS XE Software allows local users with IOx application access to execute commands as root on the device. The CAF module exposes anonymous Telnet access from a hosted application's container network, and that service grants a root shell. IOx is disabled by default; exploitation requires a vulnerable release, an enabled IOx environment, a running hosted application, and administrator access inside its container.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20065
Published
Mar 23, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco IOS XE Software
Classifications
CWE-284, T1611
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 23, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=16.4.1
  2. Affected versionversion=16.4.2
  3. Affected versionversion=16.4.3
  4. Affected versionversion=17.3.1
  5. Affected versionversion=17.3.1a
  6. Affected versionversion=17.3.1w
  7. Affected versionversion=17.3.1x
  8. Affected versionversion=17.3.1z
  9. Affected versionversion=17.3.2
  10. Affected versionversion=17.3.2a
  11. Affected versionversion=17.3.3
  12. Affected versionversion=17.3.4
  13. Affected versionversion=17.3.4a
  14. Affected versionversion=17.3.4b
  15. Affected versionversion=17.3.4c
  16. Affected versionversion=17.3.5
  17. Affected versionversion=17.3.5a
  18. Affected versionversion=17.3.5b
  19. Affected versionversion=17.3.6
  20. Affected versionversion=17.4.1
  21. Affected versionversion=17.4.1a
  22. Affected versionversion=17.4.1b
  23. Affected versionversion=17.4.2
  24. Affected versionversion=17.4.2a
  25. Affected versionversion=17.5.1
  26. Affected versionversion=17.5.1a
  27. Affected versionversion=17.5.1b
  28. Affected versionversion=17.5.1c
  29. Affected versionversion=17.6.1
  30. Affected versionversion=17.6.1a
  31. Affected versionversion=17.6.1w
  32. Affected versionversion=17.6.1x
  33. Affected versionversion=17.6.1y
  34. Affected versionversion=17.6.1z
  35. Affected versionversion=17.6.1z1
  36. Affected versionversion=17.6.2
  37. Affected versionversion=17.6.3
  38. Affected versionversion=17.6.3a
  39. Affected versionversion=17.6.4
  40. Affected versionversion=17.7.1
  41. Affected versionversion=17.7.1a
  42. Affected versionversion=17.7.1b
  43. Affected versionversion=17.7.2
  44. Affected versionversion=17.8.1
  45. Affected versionversion=17.8.1a
  46. Affected versionversion=17.9.1
  47. Affected versionversion=17.9.1a
  48. Affected versionversion=17.9.1w
  49. Affected versionversion=17.9.2
  50. Affected versionversion=17.9.2a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco IOS XE Softwareversion=16.4.1; version=16.4.2; version=16.4.3; version=17.3.1; version=17.3.1a; version=17.3.1w; version=17.3.1x; version=17.3.1z; version=17.3.2; version=17.3.2a; version=17.3.3; version=17.3.4; version=17.3.4a; version=17.3.4b; version=17.3.4c; version=17.3.5; version=17.3.5a; version=17.3.5b; version=17.3.6; version=17.4.1; version=17.4.1a; version=17.4.1b; version=17.4.2; version=17.4.2a; version=17.5.1; version=17.5.1a; version=17.5.1b; version=17.5.1c; version=17.6.1; version=17.6.1a; version=17.6.1w; version=17.6.1x; version=17.6.1y; version=17.6.1z; version=17.6.1z1; version=17.6.2; version=17.6.3; version=17.6.3a; version=17.6.4; version=17.7.1; version=17.7.1a; version=17.7.1b; version=17.7.2; version=17.8.1; version=17.8.1a; version=17.9.1; version=17.9.1a; version=17.9.1w; version=17.9.2; version=17.9.2a

Published CVSS scores

7.8CiscoCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:X/RL:X/RC:X

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-284Improper Access Control
T1611Escape to Host

Public exploit references

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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