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.
Use CWE-20, Cisco vendor hub and Ip Phone 8865 Firmware product page to widen CVE-2020-3161 into its surrounding weakness, vendor, and product context.
Compare it with CVE-2023-20079, CVE-2023-20078 and CVE-2023-20018 for nearby disclosures in the same product family. Additional editorial context is available in The Weekly Cybersecurity Brief: January 30th, 2026.