# CVE-2023-20011: Cross-site request forgery in Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC)

> Unauthenticated attackers can trick users into performing unauthorized actions, potentially leading to privilege escalation and configuration changes.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Feb 2023
- **Updated:** 28 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q8mg-c7m3-8c9j

## What is CVE-2023-20011?

CVE-2023-20011 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), published on 23 Feb 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) and Cisco Cloud Network Controller, formerly Cisco Cloud APIC, could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack on an affected system. This vulnerability is due to insufficient CSRF protections for the web-based management interface on an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a user of the interface to click a malicious link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform arbitrary actions with the privilege level of the affected user. If the affected user has administrative privileges, these actions could include modifying the system configuration and creating new privileged accounts.

Weakness: CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20011?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller, Cisco Cloud Network Controller.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-20011?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20011 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-20011 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20011 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC)

- [CVE-2021-1393](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1393/): Cisco Application Services Engine Unauthorized Access Vulnerabilities (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-1396](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1396/): Cisco Application Services Engine Unauthorized Access Vulnerabilities (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-1577](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1577/): Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Arbitrary File Read and Write Vulnerability (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2021-1578](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1578/): Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-1579](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1579/): Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller App Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-20011 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-20011 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC), published on 23 Feb 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20011 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC). No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20011/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20011/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-20011
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20011
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-20011

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20011/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.