CVE-2023-20046

HIGH
8.8
CVSS Score
Published: May 9, 2023 at 01:06 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 05:29 AM UTC
7 products affected across 1 vendorStarosAsr 5000Asr 5500

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Severity
HIGH8.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 2%

Description

A vulnerability in the key-based SSH authentication feature of Cisco StarOS Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied credentials. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a valid low-privileged SSH key to an affected device from a host that has an IP address that is configured as the source for a high-privileged user account. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to log in to the affected device through SSH as a high-privileged user. There are workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v < 21.22.1421.23.0 ≤ v < 21.23.3121.25.0 ≤ v < 21.25.1521.26.0 ≤ v < 21.26.1721.27.0 ≤ v < 21.27.621.28.0 ≤ v < 21.28.321.11.021.11.121.11.1021.11.1121.11.1221.11.1321.11.1421.11.1521.11.1621.11.1721.11.1821.11.1921.11.221.11.2021.11.2121.11.321.11.421.11.521.11.621.11.721.11.821.11.921.12.021.12.121.12.1021.12.1121.12.1221.12.1321.12.1421.12.1521.12.1621.12.1721.12.1821.12.1921.12.221.12.2021.12.2121.12.2221.12.321.12.421.12.521.12.621.12.721.12.821.12.921.13.021.13.121.13.1021.13.1121.13.1221.13.1321.13.1421.13.1521.13.1621.13.1721.13.1821.13.1921.13.221.13.2021.13.2121.13.321.13.421.13.521.13.621.13.721.13.821.13.921.14.021.14.121.14.1021.14.1121.14.1221.14.1621.14.1721.14.1921.14.221.14.2021.14.2221.14.2321.14.321.14.421.14.521.14.621.14.721.14.821.14.921.14.b1221.14.b1321.14.b1421.14.b1521.14.b1721.14.b1821.14.b1921.14.b2021.14.b2121.14.b2221.15.021.15.121.15.1021.15.1121.15.1221.15.1321.15.1421.15.1521.15.1621.15.1721.15.1821.15.1921.15.221.15.2021.15.2121.15.2221.15.2421.15.2521.15.2621.15.2721.15.2821.15.2921.15.321.15.3021.15.3221.15.3321.15.3621.15.3721.15.3921.15.421.15.4021.15.4121.15.4321.15.4521.15.4621.15.4721.15.4821.15.521.15.5121.15.5221.15.5321.15.5421.15.5521.15.5721.15.5821.15.5921.15.621.15.6021.15.721.15.821.16.1021.16.221.16.321.16.421.16.521.16.621.16.721.16.821.16.921.16.c1021.16.c1121.16.c1221.16.c1321.16.c1421.16.c1521.16.c1621.16.c1721.16.c1821.16.c1921.16.c921.16.d021.16.d121.17.021.17.121.17.1021.17.1121.17.1221.17.1321.17.1421.17.1521.17.1621.17.1721.17.1821.17.1921.17.221.17.321.17.421.17.521.17.621.17.721.17.821.17.921.18.021.18.121.18.1121.18.1221.18.1321.18.1421.18.1521.18.1621.18.1721.18.1821.18.1921.18.221.18.2021.18.2121.18.2221.18.2321.18.2421.18.2521.18.2621.18.321.18.421.18.521.18.621.18.721.18.821.18.921.19.021.19.121.19.1021.19.1121.19.221.19.321.19.421.19.521.19.621.19.721.19.821.19.921.19.n1021.19.n1121.19.n1221.19.n1321.19.n1421.19.n1521.19.n1621.19.n1721.19.n1821.19.n221.19.n321.19.n421.19.n521.19.n621.19.n721.19.n821.19.n921.20.021.20.121.20.1021.20.1121.20.1221.20.1321.20.1421.20.1521.20.1621.20.1721.20.1821.20.1921.20.221.20.2021.20.2121.20.2221.20.2321.20.2421.20.2521.20.2621.20.2721.20.2821.20.2921.20.321.20.3021.20.3121.20.3221.20.3321.20.3421.20.3521.20.421.20.521.20.621.20.721.20.821.20.921.20.SV121.20.SV221.20.SV321.20.SV521.20.c2221.20.k621.20.k721.20.k821.20.p921.20.u821.21.021.21.121.21.221.21.321.21.KS221.22.021.22.1121.22.1221.22.1321.22.321.22.421.22.521.22.621.22.721.22.821.22.n1021.22.n1121.22.n1221.22.n1321.22.n221.22.n321.22.n421.22.n521.22.n621.22.n721.22.n821.22.n921.22.ua021.22.ua221.22.ua321.22.ua521.22.uj321.23.021.23.121.23.1021.23.1121.23.1221.23.1321.23.1421.23.1521.23.1621.23.1721.23.1821.23.1921.23.221.23.2121.23.2221.23.2321.23.2421.23.2521.23.2621.23.2721.23.2921.23.321.23.3021.23.421.23.521.23.621.23.721.23.821.23.921.23.b221.23.b321.23.c1621.23.c1721.23.c1821.23.n21.23.n1021.23.n1121.23.n621.23.n721.23.n821.23.n921.23.yn1421.2421.24.021.24.121.24.221.24.321.25.021.25.1021.25.1121.25.1221.25.1321.25.1421.25.321.25.421.25.521.25.621.25.721.25.821.25.921.26.021.26.121.26.1021.26.1321.26.1421.26.1521.26.1721.26.321.26.521.26.621.26.721.27.021.27.121.27.221.27.321.27.421.27.521.27.m21.27.m021.28.021.28.121.28.221.28.m21.28.m021.28.m121.28.m221.28.m3
Affected range stops below 21.22.14, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 21.23.31, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 21.25.15, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 21.26.17, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 21.27.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Affected range stops below 21.28.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
cisco-asr-5000 (environment) · cisco-asr-5500 (environment) · cisco-asr-5700 (environment) · cisco-vpc-di (environment) · cisco-vpc-si (environment)
All versions
All versions
All versions
All versions
All versions

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

CVSS

8.8HIGHcisco
Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-289CWE-522

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