How severe is CVE-2023-20274?

CVE-2023-20274 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability low.

Is CVE-2023-20274 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (9th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-20274?

CVE-2023-20274 primarily affects Cisco Appdynamics. In total, 26 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-20274?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2023-20274 published?

CVE-2023-20274 was published on 2023-11-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-20274

CVE-2023-20274 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Appdynamics with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (9th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Cisco Appdynamics
Published: 2023-11-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the installer script of Cisco AppDynamics PHP Agent could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient permissions that are set by the PHP Agent Installer on the PHP Agent install directory. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by modifying objects in the PHP Agent install directory, which would run with the same privileges as PHP. A successful exploit could allow a lower-privileged attacker to elevate their privileges to root on an affected device.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-20274?: A vulnerability in the installer script of Cisco AppDynamics PHP Agent could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient permissions that are set by the PHP Agent Installer on the PHP Agent install directory. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by modifying objects in the PHP Agent install directory, which would run with the same privileges as PHP. A successful exploit could allow a lower-privileged attacker to elevate their privileges to root on an affected device.
How severe is CVE-2023-20274?: CVE-2023-20274 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability low.
Is CVE-2023-20274 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (9th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-20274?: CVE-2023-20274 primarily affects Cisco Appdynamics. In total, 26 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-20274?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-20274 published?: CVE-2023-20274 was published on 2023-11-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-appd-php-authpriv-gEBwTvu5

Affected products (26)

cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.4.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:21.7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:22.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:22.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:22.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:22.8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:22.10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:22.11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:22.12.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:22.12.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:23.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:cisco:appdynamics:23.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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