CVE-2025-20338: Medium severity Cisco IOS XE Software vulnerability

Published Sep 24, 2025
·
Updated

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.

Affected Software

375 affected components
Cisco IOS XE Software
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.0e
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.0sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.1e
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.1sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.2e
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.2sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.3e
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.3sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.4sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.5sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.6sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.7sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.5.8sq
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.0e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.1e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.2ae
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.2e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.3e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.4e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.5ae
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.5e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.6e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.7be
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.7e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.8e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.9e
Cisco IOS XE=3.6.10e
Cisco IOS XE=3.7.0e
Cisco IOS XE=3.7.1e
Cisco IOS XE=3.7.2e
Cisco IOS XE=3.7.3e
Cisco IOS XE=3.7.4e
Cisco IOS XE=3.7.5e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.0e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.1e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.2e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.3e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.4e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.5ae
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.5e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.6e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.7e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.8e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.9e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.10e
Cisco IOS XE=3.8.10ee
Cisco IOS XE=3.9.0e
Cisco IOS XE=3.9.1e
Cisco IOS XE=3.9.2e
Cisco IOS XE=3.10.0ce
Cisco IOS XE=3.10.0e
Cisco IOS XE=3.10.1e
Cisco IOS XE=3.10.2e
Cisco IOS XE=3.10.3e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.0e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.0s
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.1ae
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.1e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.1s
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.2e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.2s
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.3ae
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.3e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.3s
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.4e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.4s
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.5e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.6e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.7e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.8e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.9e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.10e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.11e
Cisco IOS XE=3.11.12e
Cisco IOS XE=3.12.0as
Cisco IOS XE=3.12.0s
Cisco IOS XE=3.12.1s
Cisco IOS XE=3.12.2s
Cisco IOS XE=3.12.3s
Cisco IOS XE=3.12.4s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.0as
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.0s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.1s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.2as
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.2s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.3s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.4s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.5as
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.5s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.6as
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.6s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.7as
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.7s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.8s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.9s
Cisco IOS XE=3.13.10s
Cisco IOS XE=3.14.0s
Cisco IOS XE=3.14.1s
Cisco IOS XE=3.14.2s
Cisco IOS XE=3.14.3s
Cisco IOS XE=3.14.4s
Cisco IOS XE=3.15.0s
Cisco IOS XE=3.15.1cs
Cisco IOS XE=3.15.1s
Cisco IOS XE=3.15.2s
Cisco IOS XE=3.15.3s
Cisco IOS XE=3.15.4s
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=16.6.1
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=17.9.7
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.7a
Cisco IOS XE=17.9.7b
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=17.12.1a
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=17.12.1z2
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.1z3
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.1z4
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=17.12.5
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.5a
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.5b
Cisco IOS XE=17.12.5c
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 IOS XE=17.15.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.1b
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.1w
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.1x
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.1y
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.1z
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.2a
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.2b
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.2c
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.3
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.3a
Cisco IOS XE=17.15.3b
Cisco IOS XE=17.16.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.16.1a

Event History

Sep 24, 2025
CVE Published
via MITRE·05:14 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·05:14 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·06:15 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-20338?

CVE-2025-20338 is classified as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential to allow arbitrary command execution as root.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-20338?

To remediate CVE-2025-20338, update your Cisco IOS XE Software to the latest version that addresses this vulnerability.

3

Who is affected by CVE-2025-20338?

CVE-2025-20338 affects devices running Cisco IOS XE Software with administrative privileges enabled.

4

What type of attack does CVE-2025-20338 allow?

CVE-2025-20338 allows authenticated local attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system.

5

Is user interaction required for CVE-2025-20338?

No, CVE-2025-20338 does not require user interaction, as it involves authenticated local access.

Company

Resources

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203