Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2023-20135


A vulnerability in Cisco IOS XR Software image verification checks could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is due to a time-of-check, time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition when an install query regarding an ISO image is performed during an install operation that uses an ISO image. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by modifying an ISO image and then carrying out install requests in parallel. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device.


Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.7, requiring local system access to exploit but requires specific conditions to be met without requiring user interaction . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from cisco organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Reported in 2023, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.


Published

2023-09-13T17:15:09.253

Last Modified

2024-11-21T07:40:38.240

Status

Modified

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 5.7 (MEDIUM)

Weaknesses
  • Type: Secondary
    CWE-347
  • Type: Primary
    CWE-367

Affected Vendors & Products
Type Vendor Product Version/Range Vulnerable?
Operating System cisco ios_xr < 7.6 Yes
Operating System cisco ios_xr < 7.10.1 Yes

References

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For cisco's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.