CVE-2023-20046: High severity cisco staros major vulnerability

Published May 9, 2023
·
Updated

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 Software

30 affected components
All of the following
Any of the following
Cisco StarOS<21.22.14
Cisco StarOS>=21.23.0<21.23.31
Cisco StarOS>=21.25.0<21.25.15
Cisco StarOS>=21.26.0<21.26.17
Cisco StarOS>=21.27.0<21.27.6
Cisco StarOS>=21.28.0<21.28.3
Cisco StarOS=21.23.n
Cisco StarOS=21.24
Cisco StarOS=21.27.m
Cisco StarOS=21.28.m
Any of the following
Cisco ASR 5000
Cisco ASR 5500
Cisco Asr 5700
Cisco Vpc-di
Cisco Vpc-si
Cisco StarOS<21.22.14
Cisco StarOS>=21.23.0<21.23.31
Cisco StarOS>=21.25.0<21.25.15
Cisco StarOS>=21.26.0<21.26.17
Cisco StarOS>=21.27.0<21.27.6
Cisco StarOS>=21.28.0<21.28.3
Cisco StarOS=21.23.n
Cisco StarOS=21.24
Cisco StarOS=21.27.m
Cisco StarOS=21.28.m
Cisco ASR 5000
Cisco ASR 5500
Cisco Asr 5700
Cisco Vpc-di
Cisco Vpc-si

Event History

May 9, 2023
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:06 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:06 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2023-20046?

CVE-2023-20046 is a vulnerability in the key-based SSH authentication feature of Cisco StarOS Software that allows an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges on an affected device.

2

How does CVE-2023-20046 occur?

CVE-2023-20046 occurs due to insufficient validation of user-supplied credentials in the key-based SSH authentication feature of Cisco StarOS Software.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2023-20046?

CVE-2023-20046 has a severity rating of 8.8, which is considered high.

4

Which software is affected by CVE-2023-20046?

Cisco StarOS Software versions 21.22.14 up to 21.28.3 are affected by CVE-2023-20046.

5

How can I find more information about CVE-2023-20046?

For more information about CVE-2023-20046, you can refer to the following references: [GitHub Advisory](https://github.com/orangecertcc/security-research/security/advisories/GHSA-j7p3-gjw6-pp4r) and [Cisco Security Advisory](https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-staros-ssh-privesc-BmWeJC3h).

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