CVE-2022-20703 Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers: security feature bypass
In plain words: A built-in safety check — like a warning before opening a downloaded file — can be skipped. Makes other attacks, like malicious downloads, work without the usual warning.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Mar 17, 2022
What to do
- Install Cisco's security update for Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
- Never expose the device's admin page to the internet.
- After patching a device that was exposed, follow the vendor's compromise checks, end active sessions and change passwords.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: They face the internet and guard the whole network, so a flaw here can hand attackers a way in — and these devices usually run no antivirus, so break-ins go unnoticed.
The details
- Official name
- Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers Stack-based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
- Product
- Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers
- CISA description
- A vulnerability in Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers could allow an attacker to do any of the following: Execute arbitrary code elevate privileges, execute arbitrary commands, bypass authentication and authorization protections, fetch and run unsigned software, or cause a denial of service (DoS).
- Type of flaw
- Security feature bypass (CWE-347)
- Confirmed exploited
- Mar 3, 2022
- US federal patch deadline
- Mar 17, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2022-20703 ·
Questions about CVE-2022-20703
Is CVE-2022-20703 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2022-20703 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Mar 3, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2022-20703?
Install Cisco's security update for Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers. If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Patch edge devices first — attackers often start scanning for them within hours of a fix.
Am I affected by CVE-2022-20703?
Only if you use Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.