CVE-2023-20097

Administrator-to-root command execution via unvalidated controller arguments

Published Mar 23, 2023 · Updated Oct 25, 2024

Command injection in Cisco Aironet Access Point Software allows local users to execute arbitrary commands as root on managed APs. The controller-to-AP command path fails to validate crafted arguments before the AP interprets them as commands. Administrator access to the wireless controller CLI is required, and successful exploitation grants full root access on the AP.

CVSS severity4.6
Medium
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Command injection in Cisco Aironet Access Point Software allows local users to execute arbitrary commands as root on managed APs. The controller-to-AP command path fails to validate crafted arguments before the AP interprets them as commands. Administrator access to the wireless controller CLI is required, and successful exploitation grants full root access on the AP.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20097
Published
Mar 23, 2023
Updated
Oct 25, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco Aironet Access Point Software
Classifications
CWE-77, CAPEC-248, T1059.008
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 23, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 25, 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 vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco Aironet Access Point Softwareversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

4.6Cisco Systems, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N/E:X/RL:X/RC:X
6.7NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-77Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')
CAPEC-248Command Injection
T1059.008Command and Scripting Interpreter: Network Device CLI

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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