CVE-2025-20181

Summary

A vulnerability in Cisco IOS Software for Cisco Catalyst 2960X, 2960XR, 2960CX, and 3560CX Series Switches could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 or an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to the device to execute persistent code at boot time and break the chain of trust. This vulnerability is due to missing signature verification for specific files that may be loaded during the device boot process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by placing a crafted file into a specific location on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code at boot time. Because this allows the attacker to bypass a major security feature of the device, Cisco has raised the Security Impact Rating (SIR) of this advisory from Medium to High.

Affected Software

VendorProductVersion RangeStatus
CiscoIOS15.0(1)XO1affected
CiscoIOS15.0(1)XOaffected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)XOaffected
CiscoIOS15.0(1)EYaffected
CiscoIOS15.0(1)EY1affected
CiscoIOS15.0(1)EY2affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SE8affected
CiscoIOS15.0(1)EXaffected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EXaffected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX1affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX2affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX3affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX4affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX5affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX8affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2a)EX5affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX10affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX11affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX13affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)EX12affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(3)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E1affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(3)E1affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E2affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2a)E1affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E3affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2a)E2affected
CiscoIOS15.2(3)E2affected
CiscoIOS15.2(3a)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(3)E3affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E1affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E4affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E5affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E2affected
CiscoIOS15.2(3)E4affected
CiscoIOS15.2(5)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E3affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E6affected
CiscoIOS15.2(5)E1affected
CiscoIOS15.2(5b)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E5aaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E5baffected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E4affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E7affected
CiscoIOS15.2(5)E2affected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E5affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E8affected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)E0aaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)E1affected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)E0caffected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E6affected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)E2affected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E9affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E7affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(2)E10affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E8affected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)E2aaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)E2baffected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E1affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E0aaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E0baffected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E0saffected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)E3affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E9affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E2affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7a)E0baffected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E10affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E3affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E1aaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(7b)E0baffected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E2aaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E10aaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E4affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E3kaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(8)Eaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(8)E1affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E5affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E6affected
CiscoIOS15.2(8)E2affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)E10daffected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E7affected
CiscoIOS15.2(8)E3affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E8affected
CiscoIOS15.2(8)E4affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E9affected
CiscoIOS15.2(8)E5affected
CiscoIOS15.2(8)E6affected
CiscoIOS15.2(7)E10affected
CiscoIOS15.2(6)EBaffected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)EA7affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)EA8affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)EA9affected
CiscoIOS15.2(4)EA9aaffected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQDaffected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQD1affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQD2affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQD3affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQD4affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQD5affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQD6affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQD7affected
CiscoIOS15.0(2)SQD8affected

Weaknesses

  • CWE-347: Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature

ADP Enrichment

CISA ADP Vulnrichment

  • SSVC:
  • Exploitation: none
    • Automatable: no
    • Technical Impact: total

References