CVE-2025-20143: Cisco IOS XR Software · Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature
Affects Cisco IOS XR SoftwareSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.7 Medium.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 1% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 12 Mar 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Cisco IOS XR Software | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Organizations should immediately identify all Cisco IOS XR devices running affected versions and prioritize upgrading to the latest patched software releases provided by Cisco. Since no workarounds exist, patching is the primary mitigation strategy. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict access controls and monitoring to prevent unauthorized root-level access to devices, including robust authentication mechanisms, network segmentation, and regular auditing of administrative activities. Employing intrusion detection systems and anomaly detection can help identify suspicious activities indicative of attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Regular backups of device configurations and firmware images should be maintained to enable recovery in case of compromise. Finally, organizations should stay informed of Cisco advisories and apply future updates promptly to address any related vulnerabilities.
Description
A vulnerability in the boot process of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with high privileges to bypass the Secure Boot functionality and load unverified software on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have root-system privileges on the affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient verification of modules in the software load process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the loaded binaries to bypass some of the integrity checks that are performed during the booting process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to control the boot configuration, which could enable them to bypass the requirement to run Cisco-signed images or alter the security properties of the running system. Note: This vulnerability affects Cisco IOS XR Software, not the Secure Boot feature. Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.