CVE-2023-20118 Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers: command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Mar 24, 2025
What to do
- Install Cisco's security update for Small Business RV 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 Command Injection Vulnerability
- Product
- Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers
- CISA description
- Multiple Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers contains a command injection vulnerability in the web-based management interface. Successful exploitation could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to gain root-level privileges and access unauthorized data.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection (CWE-77)
- Confirmed exploited
- Mar 3, 2025
- US federal patch deadline
- Mar 24, 2025
Ask Cleus about it
Ask about a vulnerability, an update, a weird message, or the news. Plain-word answers, free, no account.
Answering about CVE-2023-20118 ·
Questions about CVE-2023-20118
Is CVE-2023-20118 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2023-20118 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Mar 3, 2025, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2023-20118?
Install Cisco's security update for Small Business RV 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-2023-20118?
Only if you use Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.