CVE-2025-20189: High severity cisco ios xe vulnerability

Published May 7, 2025
·
Updated

A vulnerability in the Cisco Express Forwarding functionality of Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco ASR 903 Aggregation Services Routers with Route Switch Processor 3 (RSP3C) could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to trigger a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability is due to improper memory management when Cisco IOS XE Software is processing Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted ARP messages at a high rate over a period of time to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust system resources, which eventually triggers a reload of the active route switch processor (RSP). If a redundant RSP is not present, the router reloads.

Affected Software

269 affected components
Cisco IOS XE Software
Cisco ASR 903 Aggregation Services Router
All of the following
Any of the following
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.0cs
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.0s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.1as
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.1s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.2as
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.2bs
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.2s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.3as
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.3s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.4as
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.4bs
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.4ds
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.4s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.5s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.6bs
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.6s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.7as
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.7bs
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.7s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.8s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.9s
Cisco IOS XE=3.16.10s
Cisco IOS XE=3.17.0s
Cisco IOS XE=3.17.1as
Cisco IOS XE=3.17.1s
Cisco IOS XE=3.17.2s
Cisco IOS XE=3.17.3s
Cisco IOS XE=3.17.4s
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.0as
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.0s
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.0sp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.1asp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.1bsp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.1csp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.1s
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.1sp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.2asp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.2s
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.2sp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.3asp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.3bsp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.3s
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.3sp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.4s
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.4sp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.5sp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.6sp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.7sp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.8asp
Cisco IOS XE=3.18.9sp
Cisco IOS XE=16.1.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.1.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.1.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.2.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.2.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.4
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.5
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.5b
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.6
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.7
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.8
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.9
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.10
Cisco IOS XE=16.3.11
Cisco IOS XE=16.4.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.4.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.4.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.5.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.5.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.5.1b
Cisco IOS XE=16.5.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.5.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.4
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.4a
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.5
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.5a
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.6
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.7
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.8
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.9
Cisco IOS XE=16.6.10
Cisco IOS XE=16.7.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.7.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.7.1b
Cisco IOS XE=16.7.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.7.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.7.4
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.1b
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.1c
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.1d
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.1e
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.1s
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.8.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.1b
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.1s
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.3a
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.4
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.5
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.5f
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.6
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.7
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.8
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1b
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1c
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1d
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1e
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1f
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1g
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1s
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1b
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1s
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1c
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1s
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1t
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1w
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1x
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1y
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1z1
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1z2
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.2a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.2s
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.3a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.3s
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.4
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.4a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.5
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.5a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.5b
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.6
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.6a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.7
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.8
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.9
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.10
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.10a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.11
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.12
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.13
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.1s
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.1t
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.3
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.1r
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.1v
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.3
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.1w
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.1x
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.1z
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.2a
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.3
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.4
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.4a
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.4b
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.4c
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.5
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.5a
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.5b
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.6
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.7
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.8
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.8a
Cisco IOS XE=17.4.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.4.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.4.1b
Cisco IOS XE=17.4.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.4.2a
Cisco IOS XE=17.5.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.5.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.1w
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.1x
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.1y
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.1z
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.1z1
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.3
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.3a
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.4
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.5
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.5a
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.6
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.6a
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.7
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.8
Cisco IOS XE=17.6.8a
Cisco IOS XE=17.7.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.7.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.7.1b
Cisco IOS XE=17.7.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.8.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.8.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.1w
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.1x
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.1x1
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.1y
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.1y1
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.2a
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.3
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.3a
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.4
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.4a
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.5
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.5a
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.5b
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.5e
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.5f
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.6
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.6a
Cisco IOS XE=17.10.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.10.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.10.1b
Cisco IOS XE=17.11.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.11.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.1w
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.1x
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.1y
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.1z
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.1z1
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.2a
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.3
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.3a
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.4
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.4a
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.4b
Cisco IOS XE=17.13.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.13.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.14.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.14.1a
Cisco ASR 903

Event History

May 7, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:35 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:35 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:15 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-20189?

CVE-2025-20189 has a critical severity rating due to its potential to cause a denial of service condition.

2

Who is affected by CVE-2025-20189?

CVE-2025-20189 affects Cisco IOS XE Software running on Cisco ASR 903 Aggregation Services Routers with Route Switch Processor 3 (RSP3C).

3

How do I fix CVE-2025-20189?

To fix CVE-2025-20189, apply the latest patches and updates provided by Cisco for affected devices.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2025-20189?

CVE-2025-20189 is a denial of service (DoS) vulnerability that can be triggered by an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker.

5

Can CVE-2025-20189 be exploited remotely?

No, CVE-2025-20189 requires adjacent access to exploit the vulnerability.

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