{"id":"CVE-2020-3161","published":"2020-04-15T20:15:15Z","modified":"2026-06-17T03:17:31Z","title":"Cisco IP Phones Web Server Remote Code Execution and Denial-of-Service Vulnerability","vendor":"Cisco","product":"Cisco IP Phones","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"A vulnerability in the web server for Cisco IP Phones could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute code with root privileges or cause a reload of an affected IP phone, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to a lack of proper input validation of HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to the web server of a targeted device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to remotely execute code with root privileges or cause a reload of an affected IP phone, resulting in a DoS condition.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"A flaw in the web server of Cisco IP Phones stems from improper input validation of HTTP requests. An unauthenticated remote attacker who sends a crafted HTTP request to a targeted phone's web server could execute code with root privileges or cause the phone to reload, resulting in a denial of service.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:09:53Z"},"cvss":{"score":9.8,"severity":"CRITICAL","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.83855,"percentile":0.99689,"date":"2026-10-29","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3161","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","exploitedFirstSeen":"2021-11-03","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2021-11-03"}],"evidenceTotal":1,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-20","name":"Improper Input Validation"}],"references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157265/Cisco-IP-Phone-11.7-Denial-Of-Service.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-voip-phones-rce-dos-rB6EeRXs","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157265/Cisco-IP-Phone-11.7-Denial-Of-Service.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-voip-phones-rce-dos-rB6EeRXs","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-3161","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1190","name":"Exploit Public-Facing Application","tactics":["initial-access"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Unauthenticated HTTP request exploits web server remotely","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute code with root privileges","start":54,"end":138}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1059","name":"Command and Scripting Interpreter","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Successful exploit yields remote code execution as root","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"could allow the attacker to remotely execute code with root privileges","start":452,"end":522}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1499.004","name":"Application or System Exploitation","tactics":["impact"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Crafted request forces device reload causing DoS","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"cause a reload of an affected IP phone, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition","start":142,"end":230}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2020-24432","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-24432","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2021-11-03","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":48342,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48342","title":"Cisco IP Phone 11.7 - Denial of service (PoC)","type":"dos","platform":"hardware","date":"2020-04-17","verified":false,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":1,"earliest":"2020-04-17"},"pocGithub":{"count":1,"skipped":0,"earliest":"2020-12-31","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/abood05972/CVE-2020-3161","repos":[{"name":"abood05972/CVE-2020-3161","url":"https://github.com/abood05972/CVE-2020-3161","stars":0,"created":"2020-12-31"}]},"first":{"date":"2020-04-17","source":"Exploit-DB","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48342"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157265/Cisco-IP-Phone-11.7-Denial-Of-Service.html"],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1190"],"provenance":"ai"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1059","T1499.004"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2020-04-15","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3161","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2020-04-17","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: Exploit-DB (EDB-48342); later: PoC-in-GitHub 2020-12-31","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48342","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2020-24432","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":2,"firstExploitFrom":"Exploit-DB","daysToKev":567},"priority":{"score":69.8,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1821 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.94,"detail":"percentile 0.9969"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"1 NVD reference tagged Exploit; 1 Exploit-DB entry; 1 PoC-in-GitHub repo"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":6.86,"detail":"base score 9.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}