Cyber Resilience

CVE-2023-20043

Cisco Cx Cloud Agent ≤ 1.9

Published
20 January 2023
Modified
21 November 2024
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 6.7
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0021 11th percentile
Risk Priority 48 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2023-20043 is a medium-severity Incorrect Ownership Assignment (CWE-708) vulnerability in Cisco Cx Cloud Agent. Its CVSS base score is 6.7 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Services File Permissions Weakness (T1574.010); ranked at the 11th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A01:2025 Broken Access Control

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A vulnerability in Cisco CX Cloud Agent of could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate their privileges. This vulnerability is due to insecure file permissions. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by calling the script with sudo. A successful…

more

exploit could allow the attacker to take complete control of the affected device.

CWE(s)
CWE-708CWE-276

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1574.010 Services File Permissions Weakness Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the binaries used by services.
attack.mitre.org →
T1034 Path Interception Persistence
**This technique has been deprecated.
attack.mitre.org →
T1543 Create or Modify System Process Persistence
Adversaries may create or modify system-level processes to repeatedly execute malicious payloads as part of persistence.
attack.mitre.org →
T1554 Compromise Host Software Binary Persistence
Adversaries may modify host software binaries to establish persistent access to systems.
attack.mitre.org →
T1574 Hijack Execution Flow Stealth
Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking the way operating systems run programs.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-20044Same product: Cisco Cx Cloud Agent
CVE-2023-20178Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2023-20093Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2023-20091Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2023-20092Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2020-3153Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2020-3433Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2024-20430Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2023-20004Same vendor: Cisco
CVE-2023-20008Same vendor: Cisco

Affected Assets

cisco
cx cloud agent
2.2 · ≤ 1.9

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

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Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

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Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 15 hardening rules · 6 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

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Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

AC-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-276

Access control policy can specify and enforce secure default permissions for resources.

AC-6 Least Privilege
addresses: CWE-276

Guides setting of default permissions to the minimum required level.

CM-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-276

Establishes requirements for appropriate default permissions on system resources as part of configuration management.

CM-2 Baseline Configuration
addresses: CWE-276

Baseline establishment and updates on install/upgrade ensure correct default permissions rather than insecure ones.

CM-6 Configuration Settings
addresses: CWE-276

Requiring the most restrictive settings instead of defaults prevents incorrect default permissions on resources.

CM-9 Configuration Management Plan
addresses: CWE-276

Requires documented processes that include setting and maintaining correct default permissions for configuration items.

PE-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-276

Requires addressing secure default permissions in physical and environmental protection controls.

PL-11 Baseline Tailoring
addresses: CWE-276

Tailoring explicitly overrides or scopes default permission assignments in the baseline to match the system's actual risk and operational needs.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-01 full match
prevents

Hardened baselines and configuration management explicitly require correct default file permissions.

PR.AA-05 mostly match
prevents

Defining, enforcing and reviewing access permissions and entitlements directly addresses correct ownership assignment for resources.

ID.AM-08 partial match
prevents

Lifecycle management can encompass permission settings, yet the control is too broad to specifically mitigate incorrect defaults.

PR.PS-06 partial match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices include establishing secure defaults, but address only the development-phase portion of the weakness.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.9 Configuration management mostly match
prevents

Standard templates that restrict access to utility programs and host parameter settings prevent the assignment of overly permissive default permissions on critical resources.

A.5.15 Access control partial match
prevents

Access-control policy can mandate correct ownership assignment, but does not prescribe how ownership is technically enforced.

A.5.16 Identity management partial match
degrades

Identity-management processes define who may own resources, yet do not guarantee correct assignment at creation time.

A.5.18 Access rights partial match
prevents

Access-rights provisioning includes ownership assignment; fixing CWE-708 directly supports this control's intent.

A.5.2 Information security roles and responsibilities partial match
prevents

Role definitions can require ownership accountability, but the control itself does not address technical assignment errors.

A.8.2 Privileged access rights partial match
prevents

Privileged-access rules often include ownership checks, yet the control focuses on elevated rights rather than ownership correctness.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

RHEL 7 (1 rule)
  • V-204392 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must be configured so that the file permissions, ownership, and group membership of system files and commands match the vendor values. prevents CWE-708
Windows Server 2016 (2 rules)
  • V-224833 Permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-224834 Permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
Windows Server 2019 (2 rules)
  • V-205735 Windows Server 2019 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-205736 Windows Server 2019 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
Windows Server 2022 (2 rules)
  • V-254252 Windows Server 2022 permissions for program file directories must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276
  • V-254253 Windows Server 2022 permissions for the Windows installation directory must conform to minimum requirements. prevents CWE-276

References