CVE-2025-20287VulnerabilityPublished 3 Sep 2025Updated 5 Sep 2025

CVE-2025-20287: Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM) · Unrestricted File Upload

Affects Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM)Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.3 Medium.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 25% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: None
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 3 Sep 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 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Cisco Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM)	Affected =7.0.0 =7.1.1 =7.1.2.1 =7.0.1.3 =7.1.3 =7.1.2 =7.0.1.2 =7.0.1.1 =7.0.1 =7.1.0 =8.0.0 =8.0.0.1 =7.1.3.1 =7.1.4	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

1. 2. Credential management: Strengthen authentication mechanisms for EPNM access by enforcing strong password policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and regular credential audits to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 3. Access control: Limit Config Manager privileges strictly to necessary personnel and implement role-based access controls to minimize the number of users who can upload files. 4. File upload monitoring: Implement monitoring and logging of file upload activities on the EPNM interface to detect anomalous or unauthorized uploads promptly. 5. Network segmentation: Isolate the EPNM management interface from general network access, restricting it to trusted management networks and VPNs to reduce exposure. 6. Incident response readiness: Prepare incident response plans that include scenarios involving unauthorized file uploads and potential lateral movement to ensure rapid containment and remediation. 7. Regular security assessments: Conduct periodic vulnerability assessments and penetration testing focused on management interfaces to identify and remediate similar issues proactively.

Description

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (EPNM) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to upload arbitrary files to an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of files that are uploaded to the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted file upload request to a specific API endpoint. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to upload arbitrary files to an affected system. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must have at least valid Config Managers credentials on the affected device.

Impact

For European organizations, especially telecommunications providers and large enterprises relying on Cisco EPNM for network management, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the integrity of their network management systems. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to introduce malicious files that alter network configurations or enable lateral movement within the network. This could disrupt network operations indirectly by corrupting management data or enabling further attacks on critical infrastructure. The requirement for valid credentials reduces the risk from external attackers but raises concerns about insider threats or credential compromise through phishing or other means. Given the strategic importance of telecommunications infrastructure in Europe, exploitation could have cascading effects on service availability and security. Additionally, regulatory frameworks such as the NIS Directive and GDPR impose strict requirements on network security and incident reporting, meaning that exploitation could lead to regulatory scrutiny and financial penalties. The medium CVSS score reflects moderate risk, but the operational impact could be higher depending on the attacker's objectives and the organization's security posture.

References

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-epni-arb-file-upload-jjdM2P83 (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 10 Sep 2025, 20:22 UTC

Technical details

References

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