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.
Evidence dossier
CVE-2023-20198
CVE-2023-20198
85.0–100.0Priority evidence range
gen-56ccdaf9Normalized restatement
Cisco is providing an update for the ongoing investigation into observed exploitation of the web UI feature in Cisco IOS XE Software. We are updating the list of fixed releases and adding the Software Checker. Our investigation has determined that the actors exploited two previously unknown issues. The attacker first exploited CVE-2023-20198 to gain initial access and issued a privilege 15 command to create a local user and password combination. This allowed the user to log in with normal user access. The attacker then exploited another component of the web UI feature, leveraging the new local user to elevate privilege to root and write the implant to the file system. Cisco has assigned CVE-2023-20273 to this issue. CVE-2023-20198 has been assigned a CVSS Score of 10.0. CVE-2023-20273 has been assigned a CVSS Score of 7.2. Both of these CVEs are being tracked by CSCwh87343.
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Published
- Oct 16, 2023
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Evidence coverage
- 85%
2026-07-18 · v2026.06.15 · percentile 99.9%
Distinct CVSS assessments remain side by side; none are averaged.
Source comparison
Who said what
ciscooriginal assertion
container
Cisco is providing an update for the ongoing investigation into observed exploitation of the web UI feature in Cisco IOS XE Software. We are updating the list of fixed releases and adding the Software Checker. Our investigation has determined that the actors exploited two previously unknown issues. The attacker first exploited CVE-2023-20198 to gain initial access and issued a privilege 15 command to create a local user and password combination. This allowed the user to log in with normal user access. The attacker then exploited another component of the web UI feature, leveraging the new local user to elevate privilege to root and write the implant to the file system. Cisco has assigned CVE-2023-20273 to this issue. CVE-2023-20198 has been assigned a CVSS Score of 10.0. CVE-2023-20273 has been assigned a CVSS Score of 7.2. Both of these CVEs are being tracked by CSCwh87343.
Jul 19, 2026Original evidence ↗
CISA KEVoriginal assertion
observed_exploitation
Cisco IOS XE Web UI Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Jul 19, 2026Original evidence ↗
FIRST EPSSoriginal assertion
model_probability
Probability 0.995710000000; percentile 0.999430000000
Jul 19, 2026Original evidence ↗
Applicability
Cited product scope
CiscoCisco IOS XE Software
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{"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1s"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1c"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1e"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1d"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1f"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.1g"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.10.3"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.11.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.11.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.11.1b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.11.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.11.1s"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1s"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1c"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1w"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1y"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.2a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.3"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.8"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.2s"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1x"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1t"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.4"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.3s"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.3a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.4a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.5"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.6"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1z1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.5a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.5b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.1z2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.6a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.7"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.9"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "16.12.10"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.1.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.1.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.1.1s"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.1.1t"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.1.3"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.2.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.2.1r"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.2.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.2.1v"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.2.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.2.3"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.3"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.1w"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.2a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.1x"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.1z"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.4"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.5"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.4a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.6"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.4b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.4c"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.5a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.5b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.7"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.3.8"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.4.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.4.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.4.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.4.1b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.4.2a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.5.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.5.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.5.1b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.5.1c"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.1w"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.1x"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.3"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.1y"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.1z"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.3a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.4"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.1z1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.5"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.6.6"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.7.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.7.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.7.1b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.7.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.10.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.10.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.10.1b"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.8.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.8.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.1w"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.2"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.1x"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.1y"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.3"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.2a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.1x1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.3a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.4"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.9.1y1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.11.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.11.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.12.1"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.12.1a"}, {"status": "affected", "version": "17.11.99SW"}]unknownUnknown vendorUnknown product
cpe:2.3:h:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5200:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*constrainedUnknown vendorUnknown product
cpe:2.3:h:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5800:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*constrainedUnknown vendorUnknown product
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*; start including 16.12; end excluding 16.12.10asupportedUnknown vendorUnknown product
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*; start including 17.3; end excluding 17.3.8asupportedUnknown vendorUnknown product
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*; start including 17.6; end excluding 17.6.6asupportedUnknown vendorUnknown product
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*; start including 17.9; end excluding 17.9.4asupportedUnknown vendorUnknown product
cpe:2.3:o:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5200_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*; end excluding 17.12.02supportedUnknown vendorUnknown product
cpe:2.3:o:rockwellautomation:allen-bradley_stratix_5800_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*; end excluding 17.12.02supportedAssessments
CVSS by origin
nvd@nist.govCVSS 3.1 · role Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:Hpsirt@cisco.comCVSS 3.1 · role Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HciscoCVSS 3.1 · role unknown
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HLimitations and unknowns
- KEV membership is authoritative for the catalog, not proof of exposure in any environment.
- EPSS is a dated model probability and not an individual-environment prediction.
- Affected or fixed status applies only to the exact cited product and version scope; unresolved scope remains unknown.
- NVD-carried upstream facts remain derivative and are not independent corroboration.
- Only NVD metrics validated under the generation-bound calculator are Public Priority eligible; direct CVE record metrics remain display-only.
- NVD CVSS source eligibility is closed: NVD-authored, exact record-source, or registered same-CVE container origin; unmapped sources remain display-only.
- Factor D is unknown in Public Core because no accepted canonical mapping-obligation ledger is present.
- Core replay supports the active and immediately prior generation; retrospective valid-at replay is deferred.