How severe is CVE-2023-20273?

CVE-2023-20273 has a CVSS score of 7.2/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which products are affected by CVE-2023-20273?

Affected package information for CVE-2023-20273 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I patch CVE-2023-20273?

Apply the cisco ios xe security patch or hotfix for CVE-2023-20273 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.

How do I detect CVE-2023-20273 across my infrastructure?

Inventory every cisco ios xe deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for remote code execution at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.

How do I mitigate CVE-2023-20273 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2023-20273?

O3 detects and blocks CVE-2023-20273 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Is CVE-2023-20273 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 7 known exploit references for CVE-2023-20273, including 6 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2023-20273?

CVE-2023-20273 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 89.6%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Is CVE-2023-20273 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2023-20273 (Cisco IOS XE Web UI Command Injection Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2023-10-23. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2023-10-27. The required action was: 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. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2023-20273?

CVE-2023-20273 is classified as OS Command Injection (CWE-78). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation. This is a high-impact weakness class that often enables remote code execution or data exposure.

Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2023-20273?

CVE-2023-20273 affects cisco ios xe (185 versions, e.g. 16.1.1, 16.1.2, 16.1.3…). Check the affected-products list on this page against your deployed version to confirm exposure.

Is there exploit tooling available for CVE-2023-20273?

5 Metasploit modules reference CVE-2023-20273, which lowers the barrier to weaponization. Public exploit tooling significantly increases real-world risk — prioritize patching and ensure detection coverage. Exploit tooling should only ever be used in isolated, authorized testing environments.

When was CVE-2023-20273 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2023-20273 was published on October 25, 2023 and was last updated on June 17, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

CISA KEV·Added 2023-10-23 — agencies required to remediate by 2023-10-27

CVE-2023-20273

HIGH

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…

Published

Oct 25, 2023

Updated

Jun 17, 2026

Affected

0 pkgs

Patched

None yet

Exploits

7 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

89.6%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile0.00%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Description

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.

Affected Products

1 product · 189 configurations

ios xecisco

≥ 16.12 && < 16.12.10a

185 versions

16.1.116.1.216.1.316.2.116.2.216.3.1a16.3.216.3.316.3.416.3.516.3.5b16.3.6

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.