# CVE-2023-20238: Auth bypass in Cisco BroadWorks

> Unauthenticated attackers can forge SSO credentials to access systems, potentially escalating privileges to administrator level for data access and modification.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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:** 6 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 16 Dec 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-mgh9-rchv-m7c2

## What is CVE-2023-20238?

CVE-2023-20238 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco BroadWorks, published on 6 Sep 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the single sign-on (SSO) implementation of Cisco BroadWorks Application Delivery Platform and Cisco BroadWorks Xtended Services Platform could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to forge the credentials required to access an affected system.

 This vulnerability is due to the method used to validate SSO tokens. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the application with forged credentials. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to commit toll fraud or to execute commands at the privilege level of the forged account. If that account is an Administrator account, the attacker would have the ability to view confidential information, modify customer settings, or modify settings for other users. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need a valid user ID that is associated with an affected Cisco BroadWorks system.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20238?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Cisco Broadworks Application Delivery Platform, Cisco Broadworks Xtended Services Platform.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-20238?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20238 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-20238 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20238 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco BroadWorks

- [CVE-2023-20019](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20019/): Cross-site scripting in Cisco BroadWorks (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2023-20204](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20204/): Cross-site scripting in Cisco BroadWorks (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2025-20307](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20307/): Cisco BroadWorks Application Delivery Platform Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability (medium 4.8)
- [CVE-2024-20270](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20270/): Cross-site scripting in Cisco BroadWorks (medium 4.8)
- [CVE-2023-20216](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20216/): Privilege escalation in Cisco BroadWorks (medium 4.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-20238 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-20238 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco BroadWorks, published on 6 Sep 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-2023-20238 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco BroadWorks. 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-2023-20238/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20238/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-20238
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20238
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-20238

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20238/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.