# CVE-2023-20260: Privilege escalation in Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM)

> An authenticated local attacker can escalate privileges to root by exploiting improper CLI argument processing in Cisco network management software.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Jan 2024
- **Updated:** 13 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-96c9-2v9p-9chw

## What is CVE-2023-20260?

CVE-2023-20260 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager, published on 17 Jan 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the application CLI of Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain escalated privileges. This vulnerability is due to improper processing of command line arguments to application scripts. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by issuing a command on the CLI with malicious options. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain the escalated privileges of the root user on the underlying operating system.

Weakness: CWE-88 (Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command), CWE-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-20260?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager, Cisco Prime Infrastructure.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-20260?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-20260 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-20260 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20260 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager

- [CVE-2016-1289](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1289/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-1291](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1291/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-1487](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1487/): Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager Command Injection Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1821](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1821/): Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Evolved Programmable Network Manager Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2019-1822](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1822/): Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Evolved Programmable Network Manager Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-20260 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-20260 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager, published on 17 Jan 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-20260 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager. 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-2023-20260/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20260/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-20260
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-20260
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-20260

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20260/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.