CVE-2025-20338 in IOS XE
Summary
by MITRE • 09/24/2025
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.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/15/2025
This vulnerability resides within the command line interface of Cisco IOS XE Software, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that directly compromises the security posture of network infrastructure devices. The issue manifests as insufficient input validation mechanisms within the CLI processing framework, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to bypass normal security controls and execute malicious code with the highest possible privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects devices running Cisco IOS XE Software where administrative users possess level 15 privileges, which typically grants full system access and configuration capabilities.
The technical exploitation occurs through improper sanitization of command arguments passed to specific CLI commands, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that are subsequently executed with root-level privileges. This flaw operates at the interface between user input and system execution, where the CLI parser fails to adequately validate or sanitize parameters before passing them to underlying operating system functions. The vulnerability represents a classic command injection weakness that leverages the legitimate administrative access to escalate privileges without requiring additional authentication mechanisms. According to CWE standards, this corresponds to CWE-77 and CWE-78, which classify the issue as command injection and improper input validation respectively.
Operationally, this vulnerability poses significant risk to network security infrastructure as it enables attackers who have already gained administrative access to achieve complete system compromise. The impact extends beyond simple privilege escalation since the attacker can execute arbitrary commands with root privileges, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system modification, or deployment of persistent backdoors. This vulnerability undermines the principle of least privilege and allows for lateral movement within the network infrastructure, as compromised devices can serve as launching points for further attacks. The attack vector requires only valid administrative credentials, making it particularly dangerous as it exploits the trust relationship between legitimate users and the system.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates and patches provided by Cisco to address the input validation deficiencies in the CLI processing. Network administrators must ensure all affected devices receive timely security updates and implement strict access controls to limit administrative privileges to only essential personnel. The principle of defense in depth should be applied through network segmentation, monitoring for unusual command execution patterns, and implementing robust audit logging to detect potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of affected software versions and establish incident response procedures specifically addressing privilege escalation attacks. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1068 (Local Port Scan) and T1548.001 (Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism) tactics, highlighting the need for comprehensive monitoring of privilege escalation activities and system command execution patterns.