Authentication Bypass Vulnerability in Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software

CVE-2023-20186

Summary

A significant vulnerability exists in the Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) feature of Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software. This flaw allows an authenticated, remote attacker to bypass crucial command authorization protocols. By exploiting this issue, an attacker with valid credentials and level 15 privileges can use Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) to interact with an affected device from an external source, enabling them to access, modify, or transfer configuration files. This vulnerability emerges from mismanagement of SCP commands during AAA authorization checks, raising serious security concerns for devices running these software versions.

References