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6.7

Cisco IOS XE Software: Privilege Elevation via Malicious Configuration Commands

CVE-2025-20201 · published 1 year ago
Summary

An attacker with high-level access to a Cisco IOS XE device can exploit a vulnerability in the command line interface to gain complete control over the underlying operating system. This is a serious risk because it could allow an attacker to hide their actions and make unauthorized changes to the device. To protect against this, ensure that only authorized personnel have access to high-level privileges on the device.

What to do

The CVE record does not list a fixed version. Check the vendor's site or the advisory links below - a fix may already be released.

Affected software
VendorProductAffected versions
cisco ios_xe 3.2.0se
3.2.1se
3.2.2se
3.2.3se
3.3.0se
3.3.0sg
3.3.1se
3.3.1sg
3.3.2se
3.3.2sg
3.3.3se
3.3.4se
398 more version ranges
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:3.2.0se:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Original advisory text
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affec...
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device.

This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing specific configuration commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input in specific configuration commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The security impact rating (SIR) of this advisory has been raised to High because an attacker could gain access to the underlying operating system of the affected device and perform potentially undetected actions.

Note: The attacker must have privileges to enter configuration mode on the affected device. This is usually referred to as privilege level 15.
References
Fix within
Internet-facing 14 days
Internal At next upgrade
  • Not known to be exploited
  • Needs hands-on effort to exploit
  • Gives an attacker full control
Severity
6.7 Medium
Exploitation
<1% chance of attack within 30 days
Type
CWE-754Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions
Timeline
Published7 May 2025
Updated26 Oct 2026
First seen7 Mar 2026
Sources
CVE-2025-20201 · NVD
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