# CVE-2023-20025: Auth bypass in Cisco Small Business RV Series Router Firmware

> Unauthenticated remote attackers can bypass authentication and gain root access on Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers via crafted HTTP requests.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 19 Jan 2023
- **Updated:** 12 Mar 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q4cw-h889-p6jj

## What is CVE-2023-20025?

CVE-2023-20025 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco Small Business RV Series Router Firmware, published on 19 Jan 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Small Business RV016, RV042, RV042G, and RV082 Routers could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass authentication on an affected device.

 This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user input within incoming HTTP packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass authentication and gain root access on the underlying operating system.

Weakness: CWE-290 (Authentication Bypass by Spoofing), CWE-293 (Using Referer Field for Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20025?

It affects 4 products.


Products: Cisco Rv016 Firmware, Cisco Rv042 Firmware, Cisco Rv042g Firmware, Cisco Rv082 Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-20025?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20025 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-20025 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20025 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Cisco r042 research (github_poc): https://github.com/lnversed/CVE-2023-20025

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Small Business RV Series Router Firmware

- [CVE-2023-20118](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20118/): Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers Command Injection (medium 6.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-3274](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3274/): Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers Command Injection Vulnerabilities (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2020-3275](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3275/): Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers Command Injection Vulnerabilities (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2020-3276](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3276/): Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers Command Injection Vulnerabilities (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2020-3277](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3277/): Cisco Small Business RV Series Routers Command Injection Vulnerabilities (high 7.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-20025 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-20025 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco Small Business RV Series Router Firmware, published on 19 Jan 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20025 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Small Business RV Series Router Firmware. 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-2023-20025/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20025/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-20025
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20025
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-20025

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20025/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.