religan/cve-2023-20198A cybersecurity case study analysing CVE-2023-20198 in Cisco IOS XE, covering vulnerability exploitation, mitigation strategies, secure software development frameworks, and patch management policies, with practical insights from a controlled lab environment
Overview
This repository contains a cybersecurity case study analysing CVE-2023-20198, a critical zero-day vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software. The project explores how the vulnerability can be exploited via the Web UI and proposes technical, procedural, and policy-based mitigation strategies.
The work was completed as part of the Cyber Security Industry Project (Part B) at the University of Adelaide.
Project Objectives
Analyse the root cause and impact of CVE-2023-20198
Recreate the vulnerability in a controlled lab environment
Demonstrate exploitation techniques targeting the Cisco IOS XE Web UI
Evaluate mitigation strategies, including secure development frameworks
Examine legal and regulatory gaps in patch management policies
Key Topics Covered
Cisco IOS XE Web UI vulnerability analysis
Remote unauthenticated privilege escalation (Level 15 access)
SOAP-based exploitation techniques
Secure Software Development Frameworks (NIST CSF, OWASP)
Patch management challenges and automation
Australian cybersecurity laws and regulatory considerations
Methodology
Literature review of Cisco advisories, CVE databases, and academic sources
Controlled lab setup using Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)
Vulnerable IOS XE image configuration with Web UI enabled
Manual and scripted exploitation testing
Evaluation of mitigation techniques and policy frameworks
Tools & Technologies
Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)
Cisco IOS XE (vulnerable versions)
Kali Linux
Burp Suite
Metasploit Framework
Wireshark
Python (for exploit scripting)
Findings
The Web UI feature significantly increases attack surface when exposed
Lack of enforced automatic updates contributed to widespread compromise
Secure development practices could have prevented the vulnerability
Existing legal frameworks lack strict timelines for patch enforcement
Mitigation Recommendations
Disable Web UI on internet-facing Cisco devices
Enforce strong access control and network segmentation
Adopt secure development frameworks (OWASP, NIST CSF 2.0)
Implement automated patch management
Introduce legally binding patch timelines with proportional penalties
Repository Contents
Final project report (PDF)
Documentation of vulnerability analysis
Exploitation methodology and screenshots
Mitigation strategies and evaluation
Note: This project is for educational and research purposes only. All testing was conducted in a controlled environment. No unauthorised systems were accessed.
Authors
Nauman Yawar Butt
Timilehin Iyanuoluwa Adeoye
Institution
The University of Adelaide COMP SCI 7102B – Cyber Security Industry Project
Disclaimer
This repository does not encourage illegal exploitation of systems. Any techniques discussed are intended strictly for defensive security research, learning, and awareness.
