CVE-2023-20231Network attack vector

Level 15 CLI execution via crafted web input

Published Sep 27, 2023 · Updated Dec 16, 2025

Command injection in the web UI of Cisco IOS XE Software allows remote authenticated users to execute level 15 CLI commands. The web UI insufficiently validates crafted input before passing it into IOS XE CLI command execution. Exploitation requires credentials for a nondefault Lobby Ambassador account and an enabled HTTP server feature, granting full level 15 command privileges.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.74%
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 the web UI of Cisco IOS XE Software allows remote authenticated users to execute level 15 CLI commands. The web UI insufficiently validates crafted input before passing it into IOS XE CLI command execution. Exploitation requires credentials for a nondefault Lobby Ambassador account and an enabled HTTP server feature, granting full level 15 command privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-20231
Published
Sep 27, 2023
Updated
Dec 16, 2025
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco IOS XE Software
Classifications
CWE-78, CWE-20, T1059
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Dec 16, 2025Record 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=16.12.4
  2. Affected versionversion=16.12.4 <=16.12.9
  3. Affected versionversion=16.12.4a
  4. Affected versionversion=16.12.5
  5. Affected versionversion=16.12.5a
  6. Affected versionversion=16.12.5b
  7. Affected versionversion=16.12.6
  8. Affected versionversion=16.12.6a
  9. Affected versionversion=16.12.7
  10. Affected versionversion=16.12.8
  11. Affected versionversion=16.12.9
  12. Affected versionversion=17.10.1
  13. Affected versionversion=17.10.1a
  14. Affected versionversion=17.10.1b
  15. Affected versionversion=17.2.2
  16. Affected versionversion=17.2.2 <=17.10.1b
  17. Affected versionversion=17.2.3
  18. Affected versionversion=17.3.1
  19. Affected versionversion=17.3.1a
  20. Affected versionversion=17.3.1w
  21. Affected versionversion=17.3.1x
  22. Affected versionversion=17.3.1z
  23. Affected versionversion=17.3.2
  24. Affected versionversion=17.3.2a
  25. Affected versionversion=17.3.3
  26. Affected versionversion=17.3.4
  27. Affected versionversion=17.3.4a
  28. Affected versionversion=17.3.4b
  29. Affected versionversion=17.3.4c
  30. Affected versionversion=17.3.5
  31. Affected versionversion=17.3.5a
  32. Affected versionversion=17.3.5b
  33. Affected versionversion=17.3.6
  34. Affected versionversion=17.4.1
  35. Affected versionversion=17.4.1a
  36. Affected versionversion=17.4.1b
  37. Affected versionversion=17.4.2
  38. Affected versionversion=17.4.2a
  39. Affected versionversion=17.5.1
  40. Affected versionversion=17.5.1a
  41. Affected versionversion=17.5.1b
  42. Affected versionversion=17.5.1c
  43. Affected versionversion=17.6.1
  44. Affected versionversion=17.6.1a
  45. Affected versionversion=17.6.1w
  46. Affected versionversion=17.6.1x
  47. Affected versionversion=17.6.1y
  48. Affected versionversion=17.6.1z
  49. Affected versionversion=17.6.1z1
  50. Affected versionversion=17.6.2
  51. Affected versionversion=17.6.3
  52. Affected versionversion=17.6.3a
  53. Affected versionversion=17.6.4
  54. Affected versionversion=17.6.5
  55. Affected versionversion=17.6.5a
  56. Affected versionversion=17.7.1
  57. Affected versionversion=17.7.1a
  58. Affected versionversion=17.7.1b
  59. Affected versionversion=17.7.2
  60. Affected versionversion=17.8.1
  61. Affected versionversion=17.8.1a
  62. Affected versionversion=17.9.1
  63. Affected versionversion=17.9.1a
  64. Affected versionversion=17.9.1w
  65. Affected versionversion=17.9.1x
  66. Affected versionversion=17.9.1x1
  67. Affected versionversion=17.9.1y
  68. Affected versionversion=17.9.2
  69. Affected versionversion=17.9.2a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco IOS XE Softwareversion=16.12.4; version=16.12.4 <=16.12.9; version=16.12.4a; version=16.12.5; version=16.12.5a; version=16.12.5b; version=16.12.6; version=16.12.6a; version=16.12.7; version=16.12.8; version=16.12.9; version=17.10.1; version=17.10.1a; version=17.10.1b; version=17.2.2; version=17.2.2 <=17.10.1b; version=17.2.3; 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=17.6.5; version=17.6.5a; 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=17.9.1x; version=17.9.1x1; version=17.9.1y; version=17.9.2; version=17.9.2a

Published CVSS scores

8.8Cisco Systems, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
CWE-20Improper Input Validation
T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter

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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