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.
Data as of 2 Nov 2026 · NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS
Defenders still triage vulnerabilities one CVE at a time, while increasingly automated attackers combine them at machine speed. Omenwave models the plausible pathways by which this CVE could be chained with others — surfacing them for research and awareness, with evidence for each step.
The access level the source grants already meets or exceeds the access level the destination requires — the position carries over.
A vulnerability in the web UI feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject commands with the privileges o…
The access level the source grants already meets or exceeds the access level the destination requires — the position carries over.
Improper control of generation of code ('code injection') in Microsoft Office SharePoint allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network.
The access level the source grants already meets or exceeds the access level the destination requires — the position carries over.
Microsoft Exchange Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
The access level the source grants already meets or exceeds the access level the destination requires — the position carries over.
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in Microsoft Exchange software when the software fails to properly handle objects in memory, aka 'Micros…
The access level the source grants already meets or exceeds the access level the destination requires — the position carries over.
Roundcube Webmail before 1.5.10 and 1.6.x before 1.6.11 allows remote code execution by authenticated users because the _from parameter in a URL is n…
Modelled plausible chaining potential derived from public CVE metadata (CVSS, CWE, CPE). Not a confirmed real-world exploit chain and contains no exploitation detail. For research and awareness only.
Methodology · Interactive explorer · JSON: /cve/CVE-2023-20198