CVE-2025-20293 in IOS XE
Summary
by MITRE • 09/24/2025
A vulnerability in the Day One setup process of Cisco IOS XE Software for Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers for Cloud (9800-CL) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to access the public-key infrastructure (PKI) server that is running on an affected device.
This vulnerability is due to incomplete cleanup upon completion of the Day One setup process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to request a certificate from the virtual wireless controller and then use the acquired certificate to join an attacker-controlled device to the virtual wireless controller.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/28/2025
This vulnerability exists within the Day One setup process of Cisco IOS XE Software running on Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers for Cloud, specifically affecting the 9800-CL model. The flaw represents a critical security weakness that undermines the device's certificate management infrastructure and creates an unauthorized access vector for remote attackers. The vulnerability stems from inadequate resource cleanup procedures that occur during the completion of the initial configuration process, leaving behind accessible components that should normally be secured or removed. This issue directly impacts the public-key infrastructure server functionality that operates on the affected device, creating a persistent security gap that remains exploitable even after the initial setup has ostensibly concluded.
The technical exploitation mechanism relies on the Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol, which is a standard protocol used for automated certificate provisioning in PKI environments. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability by sending specially crafted SCEP requests to the targeted device, effectively bypassing normal authentication requirements. The incomplete cleanup process leaves the PKI server in a state where it continues to accept certificate requests from unauthenticated sources, enabling attackers to obtain valid certificates that can then be used to establish unauthorized connections to the wireless controller. This creates a chain of compromise where the initial vulnerability enables certificate acquisition, which then facilitates further unauthorized device access and potentially full network control.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the wireless network's authentication framework. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can effectively become a trusted entity within the wireless infrastructure, enabling them to join malicious devices to the network and potentially conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, eavesdrop on wireless communications, or establish persistent access points. This vulnerability specifically affects the virtual wireless controller functionality of the 9800-CL platform, which is designed to provide cloud-managed wireless services, making the impact more severe as it affects centralized wireless management systems that typically serve as critical network infrastructure components. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to subvert the device's own certificate authority functionality, creating a dangerous situation where the device becomes complicit in its own compromise.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch application and configuration hardening measures to address the root cause of the incomplete cleanup process. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit access to the affected devices, particularly restricting SCEP traffic to only trusted sources. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and CWE-798, which covers "Use of Hard-coded Credentials," as the improper cleanup creates an information exposure that enables credential-like certificate acquisition. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1566 for "Phishing" and T1071.004 for "Application Layer Protocol: DNS" since attackers can use the acquired certificates to establish unauthorized connections and potentially leverage DNS for further exploitation. Network administrators should also monitor for unauthorized certificate requests and implement certificate pinning mechanisms where possible to prevent the exploitation of compromised certificates.