CVE-2023-20081

Medium
6.8
0.05.010.0
Year
2023
Published
Mar 23, 2023
Known Affected Devices
1
CVSS Score
6.8

What is CVE-2023-20081?

A vulnerability in the IPv6 DHCP (DHCPv6) client module of Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software, Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software, Cisco IOS Software, and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of DHCPv6 messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted DHCPv6 messages to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. Note: To successfully exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to either control the DHCPv6 server or be in a man-in-the-middle position.

CVSS Vector Breakdown

CVSS 3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
AV
Attack Vector
Network

Exploitable remotely over the network without requiring access to the local system.

AC
Attack Complexity
High

Exploit requires specific conditions, timing, or configuration to succeed.

PR
Privileges Required
None

No authentication required. Any anonymous user can exploit this vulnerability.

UI
User Interaction
None

No user interaction required. Exploit runs without any victim action.

S
Scope
Changed

Exploiting the vulnerability can affect other components beyond the vulnerable one.

C
Confidentiality Impact
None

No confidentiality impact. Sensitive data is not exposed.

I
Integrity Impact
None

No integrity impact. Data cannot be modified.

A
Availability Impact
High

Complete denial of service. The component becomes fully unavailable.

Known Affected Devices

FAQ

How severe is CVE-2023-20081?

CVE-2023-20081 has a CVSS score of 6.8/10, rated as Medium. Review the affected products list and apply vendor patches.

What does the CVSS score mean for CVE-2023-20081?

CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) rates vulnerability severity from 0.0 to 10.0. CVE-2023-20081 scores 6.8/10 (Medium). Scores 9.0–10.0 are Critical, 7.0–8.9 are High, 4.0–6.9 are Medium, and below 4.0 are Low.

Which devices are affected by CVE-2023-20081?

The list of devices confirmed to be affected by CVE-2023-20081 is shown in the "Affected Devices" section above. Check your firmware version against the vendor security advisory and apply the latest patch.

How do I fix or mitigate CVE-2023-20081?

Apply the latest firmware or software update from the vendor. Check the References section above for official advisories and patch notes. If no patch is available, consider disabling the affected feature or isolating the device from untrusted networks.