Cisco Business Wireless Access Point Software: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
CVE-2023-20003 is a high-severity missing authentication for critical functionality vulnerability in Cisco Business Wireless Access Point Software from Cisco, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited from the same local network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.34% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Business 140ac Access Point Firmware to 10.8.1.0 or a later version.
- Update Business 141acm Firmware to 10.8.1.0 or a later version.
- Update Business 142acm Firmware to 10.8.1.0 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on sec.cloudapps.cisco.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Cisco Business Wireless Access Point Software | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Cisco | Business 140ac Access Point Firmware | before 10.8.1.0 | 10.8.1.0 |
| Cisco | Business 141acm Firmware | before 10.8.1.0 | 10.8.1.0 |
| Cisco | Business 142acm Firmware | before 10.8.1.0 | 10.8.1.0 |
| Cisco | Business 143acm Firmware | before 10.8.1.0 | 10.8.1.0 |
| Cisco | Business 151axm Firmware | 10.4.2 | Not stated |
| Cisco | Business 145ac Access Point Firmware | before 10.8.1.0 | 10.8.1.0 |
| Cisco | Business 150ax Access Point Firmware | 10.4.2 | Not stated |
| Cisco | Business 240ac Access Point Firmware | before 10.8.1.0 | 10.8.1.0 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- AdjacentThe attacker must be on the same local network segment.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 4.7 | Medium | CNA (cisco.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.8 | High | NVD |
Official description
A vulnerability in the social login configuration option for the guest users of Cisco Business Wireless Access Points (APs) could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to bypass social login authentication. This vulnerability is due to a logic error with the social login implementation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by attempting to authenticate to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access the Guest Portal without authentication.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using libraries with authentication capabilities such as OpenSSL or the ESAPI Authenticator.
- When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to require strong authentication for users who should be allowed to access the data.
More Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities (CWE-306)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Business Wireless Access Point Software
- 8.6 High severity
- 7.2 High severity
Recent Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities
- 9.6 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 8.2 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
Spotted an error? Tell us.