An actively exploited critical zero-day vulnerability has surfaced in the Cisco IOS-XE operating system, which is used on Cisco routers, switches, and other devices. Deemed “critical” in severity with a CVSS score of 10 out of 10, this vulnerability affects any device running Cisco IOS-XE with the Web UI component enabled.
What is the impact?
Upon successful exploitation, this vulnerability (tracked as CVE-2023-20198) can allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the vulnerable system. This includes the creation of privileged users, installation of additional modules or code, and, in general, total system compromise.
Are updates or workarounds available?
As of October 16th, 2023, software updates are not available. Cisco recommends disabling the Web UI component of all Internet-facing IOS-XE devices.
How do I find potentially vulnerable Cisco IOS-XE devices with runZero?
From the Services Inventory, use the following query to locate assets running the Cisco IOS-XE operating system in your network that expose a web interface and which may need remediation or mitigation:
(products:nginx OR products:openresty) AND _asset.protocol:http AND protocol:http AND http.body:"window.onload=function%url%=%/webui"
Additional fingerprinting research is ongoing, and additional queries will be published as soon as possible.
About Version 2
Version 2 is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company develops and distributes IT products for Internet and IP-based networks, including communication systems, Internet software, security, network, and media products. Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.
About runZero
runZero, a network discovery and asset inventory solution, was founded in 2018 by HD Moore, the creator of Metasploit. HD envisioned a modern active discovery solution that could find and identify everything on a network–without credentials. As a security researcher and penetration tester, he often employed benign ways to get information leaks and piece them together to build device profiles. Eventually, this work led him to leverage applied research and the discovery techniques developed for security and penetration testing to create runZero.
