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CVE-2025-20338

MEDIUMCVSS 6.7/10EPSS 0.15%

Last modified

CVE-2025-20338 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.7/10 on the CVSS scale. A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user arguments that are passed to specific CLI commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the device CLI with valid administrative (level 15) credentials and using crafted commands at the CLI prompt. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user arguments that are passed to specific CLI commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the device CLI with valid administrative (level 15) credentials and using crafted commands at the CLI prompt. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
6.7/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.15%

4.6th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
CiscoIos Xe3.5.0e
CiscoIos Xe3.5.0sq
CiscoIos Xe3.5.1e
CiscoIos Xe3.5.1sq
CiscoIos Xe3.5.2e
CiscoIos Xe3.5.2sq
CiscoIos Xe3.5.3e
CiscoIos Xe3.5.3sq
CiscoIos Xe3.5.4sq
CiscoIos Xe3.5.5sq
CiscoIos Xe3.5.6sq
CiscoIos Xe3.5.7sq
CiscoIos Xe3.5.8sq
CiscoIos Xe3.6.0e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.1e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.2ae
CiscoIos Xe3.6.2e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.3e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.4e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.5ae
CiscoIos Xe3.6.5e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.6e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.7be
CiscoIos Xe3.6.7e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.8e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.9e
CiscoIos Xe3.6.10e
CiscoIos Xe3.7.0e
CiscoIos Xe3.7.1e
CiscoIos Xe3.7.2e
CiscoIos Xe3.7.3e
CiscoIos Xe3.7.4e
CiscoIos Xe3.7.5e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.0e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.1e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.2e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.3e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.4e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.5ae
CiscoIos Xe3.8.5e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.6e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.7e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.8e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.9e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.10e
CiscoIos Xe3.8.10ee
CiscoIos Xe3.9.0e
CiscoIos Xe3.9.1e
CiscoIos Xe3.9.2e
CiscoIos Xe3.10.0ce

Showing 50 of 374 affected configurations. See NVD for the full list.

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-20338?
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user arguments that are passed to specific CLI commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the device CLI with valid administrative (level 15) credentials and using crafted commands at the CLI prompt. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root.
How severe is CVE-2025-20338?
CVE-2025-20338 has a CVSS score of 6.7/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.15% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2025-20338?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2025-20338?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

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Source: NVD / NIST