CVE-2023-20176Network attack vector

Service interruption via sustained wireless traffic

Published Sep 27, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Resource exhaustion in Cisco access point software allows remote attackers to interrupt service through sustained wireless traffic. The networking component fails to limit resource consumption when a connected wireless client sends high-rate traffic for an extended period. An unauthenticated client within wireless range can tear down and reset the AP's DTLS session, temporarily disrupting service.

CVSS severity5.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.65%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in Cisco access point software allows remote attackers to interrupt service through sustained wireless traffic. The networking component fails to limit resource consumption when a connected wireless client sends high-rate traffic for an extended period. An unauthenticated client within wireless range can tear down and reset the AP's DTLS session, temporarily disrupting service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20176
Published
Sep 27, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco Aironet Access Point Software (IOS XE Controller)
Classifications
CWE-400, T1498
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 27, 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=16.10.1
  2. Affected versionversion=16.10.1e
  3. Affected versionversion=16.11.1
  4. Affected versionversion=16.11.1a
  5. Affected versionversion=16.11.1b
  6. Affected versionversion=16.11.1c
  7. Affected versionversion=16.12.1
  8. Affected versionversion=16.12.1s
  9. Affected versionversion=16.12.1t
  10. Affected versionversion=16.12.2s
  11. Affected versionversion=16.12.3
  12. Affected versionversion=16.12.4
  13. Affected versionversion=16.12.4a
  14. Affected versionversion=16.12.5
  15. Affected versionversion=16.12.6
  16. Affected versionversion=16.12.6a
  17. Affected versionversion=16.12.7
  18. Affected versionversion=16.12.8
  19. Affected versionversion=17.1.1
  20. Affected versionversion=17.1.1s
  21. Affected versionversion=17.1.1t
  22. Affected versionversion=17.2.1
  23. Affected versionversion=17.2.1a
  24. Affected versionversion=17.2.2
  25. Affected versionversion=17.2.3
  26. Affected versionversion=17.3.1
  27. Affected versionversion=17.3.2
  28. Affected versionversion=17.3.2a
  29. Affected versionversion=17.3.3
  30. Affected versionversion=17.3.4c
  31. Affected versionversion=17.3.5a
  32. Affected versionversion=17.3.6
  33. Affected versionversion=17.4.1
  34. Affected versionversion=17.4.2
  35. Affected versionversion=17.5.1
  36. Affected versionversion=17.6.1
  37. Affected versionversion=17.6.2
  38. Affected versionversion=17.6.3
  39. Affected versionversion=17.6.4
  40. Affected versionversion=17.6.5
  41. Affected versionversion=17.7.1
  42. Affected versionversion=17.8.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco Aironet Access Point Software (IOS XE Controller)version=16.10.1; version=16.10.1e; version=16.11.1; version=16.11.1a; version=16.11.1b; version=16.11.1c; version=16.12.1; version=16.12.1s; version=16.12.1t; version=16.12.2s; version=16.12.3; version=16.12.4; version=16.12.4a; version=16.12.5; version=16.12.6; version=16.12.6a; version=16.12.7; version=16.12.8; version=17.1.1; version=17.1.1s; version=17.1.1t; version=17.2.1; version=17.2.1a; version=17.2.2; version=17.2.3; version=17.3.1; version=17.3.2; version=17.3.2a; version=17.3.3; version=17.3.4c; version=17.3.5a; version=17.3.6; version=17.4.1; version=17.4.2; version=17.5.1; version=17.6.1; version=17.6.2; version=17.6.3; version=17.6.4; version=17.6.5; version=17.7.1; version=17.8.1
ClamAV · Cisco Aironet Access Point Softwareversion=8.10.170.0

Published CVSS scores

5.8CiscoCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1498Network Denial of Service

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo