CVE-2023-20238: Cisco BroadWorks · Improper Authentication
Affects Cisco BroadWorksSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · 15% EPSS · CVSS 10.0 Critical.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC
- EPSS
- 15.0% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 96% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 6 Sep 2023
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Cisco BroadWorks | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2023-20238, European organizations should immediately identify all Cisco BroadWorks systems in their environment and verify their software versions against the affected list. Applying the latest security patches and updates from Cisco is the most effective mitigation step. If patches are not immediately available or cannot be applied, organizations should restrict network access to the BroadWorks platforms by implementing strict firewall rules and network segmentation to limit exposure to untrusted networks. Enforce strong access controls and monitor authentication logs for suspicious activities, especially attempts to use forged credentials. Disable or limit SSO functionality if feasible until patches are applied. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative accounts to reduce the risk of privilege escalation. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on telephony infrastructure. Additionally, implement anomaly detection systems to identify unusual command executions or configuration changes. Coordinate with Cisco support for guidance and monitor threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploit activity related to this vulnerability.
Description
CVE-2023-20238 is a critical vulnerability in the single sign-on (SSO) implementation of Cisco BroadWorks Application Delivery Platform and Xtended Services Platform. It allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to forge SSO tokens and gain unauthorized access to affected systems. Exploitation requires knowledge of a valid user ID but no authentication or user interaction is needed. Successful exploitation can lead to toll fraud, command execution with the privileges of the forged account, and if an administrator account is forged, full control over confidential data and system settings. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Cisco BroadWorks, including versions 21.sp1 through 23.0 with numerous patches. The CVSS score is 10.0, indicating critical severity with network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction. There are no known exploits in the wild yet.