{"cveID":"CVE-2023-20198","vendorProject":"Cisco","product":"IOS XE Web UI","vulnerabilityName":"Cisco IOS XE Web UI Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","dateAdded":"2023-10-16","shortDescription":"Cisco IOS XE Web UI contains a privilege escalation vulnerability in the web user interface that could allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to create an account with privilege level 15 access. The attacker can then use that account to gain control of the affected device.","requiredAction":"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.","dueDate":"2023-10-20","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown","notes":"https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/ios-nx-os-software/ios-xe-dublin-17121/221128-software-fix-availability-for-cisco-ios.html;  https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20198","cwes":["CWE-420"],"year":2023,"state":"mapped","stale_reasons":[],"mappings":[{"domain":"enterprise","cve":"CVE-2023-20198","technique":"T1190","technique_name_at_mapping":"Exploit Public-Facing Application","mapping_type":"exploitation_technique","capability_group":"priv_escalation","comments":"This vulnerability is exploited through improper access control in the Web User Interface feature of Cisco IOS XE software. Attackers first used this vulnerability to gain initial access by issuing a privilege level 15 command, which allowed them to create a local user account with a password. ","references":["https://blog.talosintelligence.com/active-exploitation-of-cisco-ios-xe-software/","https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/2023/10/17/etr-cve-2023-20198-active-exploitation-of-cisco-ios-xe-zero-day-vulnerability/","https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe-webui-privesc-j22SaA4z"],"status":"complete","source_file":"kev-07.28.2025_attack-16.1-enterprise.json","attack_version":"16.1","kev_snapshot":"07/28/2025"},{"domain":"enterprise","cve":"CVE-2023-20198","technique":"T1136","technique_name_at_mapping":"Create Account","mapping_type":"primary_impact","capability_group":"priv_escalation","comments":"This vulnerability is exploited through improper access control in the Web User Interface feature of Cisco IOS XE software. Attackers first used this vulnerability to gain initial access by issuing a privilege level 15 command, which allowed them to create a local user account with a password. ","references":["https://blog.talosintelligence.com/active-exploitation-of-cisco-ios-xe-software/","https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/2023/10/17/etr-cve-2023-20198-active-exploitation-of-cisco-ios-xe-zero-day-vulnerability/","https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe-webui-privesc-j22SaA4z"],"status":"complete","source_file":"kev-07.28.2025_attack-16.1-enterprise.json","attack_version":"16.1","kev_snapshot":"07/28/2025"}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1136","domains":["enterprise"],"in_current_bundle":true,"live":true,"name_now":"Create Account","name_at_mapping":"Create Account","renamed":false,"revoked_by":null,"mapping_types":["primary_impact"],"sigma_rule_count":3,"has_detection_strategy":true},{"id":"T1190","domains":["enterprise"],"in_current_bundle":true,"live":true,"name_now":"Exploit Public-Facing Application","name_at_mapping":"Exploit Public-Facing Application","renamed":false,"revoked_by":null,"mapping_types":["exploitation_technique"],"sigma_rule_count":149,"has_detection_strategy":true}],"mapping_types":["exploitation_technique","primary_impact"],"has_exploitation_technique":true,"mapping_attack_versions":["16.1"],"mapping_domains":["enterprise"],"sigma_coverage":"full","sigma_rules_tagged_cve":[],"added_after_mapping_snapshot":false,"_source":"kevmap","_built":"2026-08-24 19:45 UTC","_attack_version":"19.2"}