Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers Command Injection Vulnerability
Cisco — Cisco Small Business RV Series Router Firmware
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business Routers RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user input within incoming HTTP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain root-level privileges and access unauthorized data. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to have valid administrative credentials on the affected device. Cisco has not and will not release software updates that address this vulnerability. However, administrators may disable the affected feature as described in the Workarounds ["#workarounds"] section. {{value}} ["%7b%7bvalue%7d%7d"])}]]
6.5
54.1%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
- Published
- Apr 5, 2023
- Modified
- Oct 21, 2025
- Added to KEV
- Mar 3, 2025
- Federal patch due
- Mar 24, 2025
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Weakness classification
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
Weaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2023-20118, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
No public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2023-20118 were found at last check. Absence here is not proof no exploit exists - see the references below for vendor advisories and write-ups.
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2023-20118?
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business Routers RV016, RV042, RV042G, RV082, RV320, and RV325 Routers could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user input within incoming HTTP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain root-level privileges and access unauthorized data. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would need to have valid administrative credentials on the affected device. Cisco has not and will not release software updates that address this vulnerability. However, administrators may disable the affected feature as described in the Workarounds ["#workarounds"] section. {{value}} ["%7b%7bvalue%7d%7d"])}]]
How severe is CVE-2023-20118?
CVE-2023-20118 has a CVSS base score of 6.5 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2023-20118 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2023-20118 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Mar 3, 2025, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2023-20118?
54.1% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 54.1% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (99% percentile among all scored CVEs).
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2023-20118?
CVE-2023-20118 is classified under CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')).
Cross-checked against
Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2023-20118 - or flaws like it - are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.
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