CVE REMEDIATION GUIDE
CISA KEV · Known exploitedHighFixed-version data available

CVE-2023-20273 remediation guide

Cisco Cisco IOS XE Web UI

A vulnerability in the web UI feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject commands with the privileges of root. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to the web UI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to inject commands to the underlying operating system with root privileges.

Open CVE record
ProductCisco Cisco IOS XE Web UI
Affected versions16.1.1, 16.1.2, 16.1.3, 16.2.1, 16.2.2, 16.3.1, 16.3.2, 16.3.3, 16.3.1a, 16.3.4, 16.3.5, 16.3.5b, 16.3.6, 16.3.7, 16.3.8, 16.3.9, 16.3.10, 16.3.11, 16.4.1, 16.4.2
Fixed versions17.3.8a, 17.6.6a, 17.9.4a, 16.12.10a
Priority basisImmediate · CVSS 7.2 · EPSS 89.6%
01

Identify the affected asset

Confirm whether Cisco Cisco IOS XE Web UI is installed, record the deployed version and installation path, and identify exposed interfaces.

  • Record the product name, package or appliance identifier, and installed version.
  • Identify internet-facing, administrative, API, and internal access paths.
  • Preserve the pre-change configuration and relevant service logs.
02

Validate the affected-version match

Compare the deployed version with the affected range: 16.1.1, 16.1.2, 16.1.3, 16.2.1, 16.2.2, 16.3.1, 16.3.2, 16.3.3, 16.3.1a, 16.3.4, 16.3.5, 16.3.5b, 16.3.6, 16.3.7, 16.3.8, 16.3.9, 16.3.10, 16.3.11, 16.4.1, 16.4.2. Treat incomplete inventory results as unresolved.

03

Prioritize with independent signals

CISA has listed this vulnerability in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Combine this signal with asset criticality, exposure, compensating controls, and business impact.

04

Apply supported remediation

Verify that instances of Cisco IOS XE Web UI are in compliance with BOD 23-02 and apply mitigations per vendor instructions. For affected products (Cisco IOS XE Web UI exposed to the internet or to untrusted networks), follow vendor instructions to determine if a system may have been compromised and immediately report positive findings to CISA.

05

Verify the result

Confirm the resulting version, service health, authentication and access paths, monitoring coverage, and relevant security logs.

  • Confirm the expected version and package state.
  • Run a functional health check for critical service paths.
  • Review authentication, error, application, and security monitoring logs.
  • Reassess exposure if the supported fix cannot be applied.

Operational boundary

This page does not replace the vendor advisory, support contract, change-management process, or recovery plan. Do not infer that an asset is unaffected from an incomplete inventory query or a missing fixed-version field.