CVE-2025-20177
Last modified
CVE-2025-20177 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.7/10 on the CVSS scale. A vulnerability in the boot process of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to bypass Cisco IOS XR image signature verification and load unverified software on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have root-system privileges on the affected device. This vulnerability is due to incomplete validation of files in the boot verification process. EPSS estimates a 0.14% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.
Description
A vulnerability in the boot process of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to bypass Cisco IOS XR image signature verification and load unverified software on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have root-system privileges on the affected device. This vulnerability is due to incomplete validation of files in the boot verification process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the system configuration options to bypass some of the integrity checks that are performed during the boot process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to control the boot configuration, which could enable them to bypass the requirement to run Cisco-signed images or alter the security properties of the running system. Note: Because exploitation of this vulnerability could result in the attacker bypassing Cisco image verification, Cisco has raised the Security Impact Rating (SIR) of this advisory from Medium to High.
Metrics
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness Enumeration
Affected Software
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Ios Xr | < 7.11.21 |
| Cisco | Ios Xr | >= 24.2, < 24.2.2 |
| Cisco | Ios Xr | >= 24.3, < 24.3.2 |
| Cisco | Ios Xr | 24.4 |
References
Timeline
- Published
- Last Modified
- Status
- Analyzed
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How Strix Helps
- How Strix found a critical auth bypass in etcdStrix autonomously discovered a critical authentication bypass in etcd, later designated CVE-2026-33413.
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