CVE-2022-20944: Cisco IOS XE Software for Catalyst 9200 Series Switches Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability
First published: Mon Oct 10 2022(Updated: )
A vulnerability in the software image verification functionality of Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to execute unsigned code at system boot time. This vulnerability is due to an improper check in the code function that manages the verification of the digital signatures of system image files during the initial boot process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by loading unsigned software on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned code and bypass the image verification check part of the boot process of the affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs either unauthenticated physical access to the device or privileged access to the root shell on the device. Note: In Cisco IOS XE Software releases 16.11.1 and later, root shell access is protected by the Consent Token mechanism. However, an attacker with level-15 privileges could easily downgrade the Cisco IOS XE Software running on a device to a release where root shell access is more readily available.
Credit: ykramarz@cisco.com
| Affected Software | Affected Version | How to fix |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco IOS XE | ||
| Cisco Catalyst 9200 | ||
| Cisco Catalyst 9200cx | ||
| Cisco Catalyst 9200l | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200-24p | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200-24t | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200-48p | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200-48t | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-24p-4g | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-24p-4x | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-24pxg-2y | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-24pxg-4x | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-24t-4g | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-24t-4x | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-48p-4g | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-48p-4x | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-48pxg-2y | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-48pxg-4x | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-48t-4g | ||
| Cisco Catalyst C9200l-48t-4x |
Never miss a vulnerability like this again
Sign up to SecAlerts for real-time vulnerability data matched to your software, aggregated from hundreds of sources.
Reference Links
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2022-20944?
CVE-2022-20944 is a vulnerability in the software image verification functionality of Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches.
How can an attacker exploit CVE-2022-20944?
An unauthenticated, physical attacker can exploit CVE-2022-20944 to execute unsigned code at system boot time.
What is the severity of CVE-2022-20944?
CVE-2022-20944 has a severity rating of 6.8 (medium).
Which software is affected by CVE-2022-20944?
Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches is affected by CVE-2022-20944.
How can I fix CVE-2022-20944?
To fix CVE-2022-20944, Cisco recommends upgrading to a fixed software release.
- collector/nvd-index
- agent/type
- agent/softwarecombine
- collector/mitre-cve
- source/MITRE
- agent/weakness
- agent/author
- agent/last-modified-date
- agent/severity
- agent/references
- agent/title
- agent/tags
- agent/description
- agent/first-publish-date
- agent/event
- vendor/cisco
- canonical/cisco ios xe
- canonical/cisco catalyst 9200
- canonical/cisco catalyst 9200cx
- canonical/cisco catalyst 9200l
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200-24p
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200-24t
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200-48p
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200-48t
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-24p-4g
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-24p-4x
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-24pxg-2y
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-24pxg-4x
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-24t-4g
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-24t-4x
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-48p-4g
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-48p-4x
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-48pxg-2y
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-48pxg-4x
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-48t-4g
- canonical/cisco catalyst c9200l-48t-4x