CVE-2025-20314: Cisco IOS XE Software · Improper Handling of Undefined Values
Affects Cisco IOS XE 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 4% 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 24 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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Cisco IOS XE Software | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2025-20314 effectively, organizations should: 1) Immediately identify and inventory all Cisco IOS XE devices running affected versions. 2) Apply Cisco's security patches or updates as soon as they become available; if patches are not yet released, engage Cisco support for interim mitigations. 3) Restrict physical access to network devices to trusted personnel only, employing secure facilities and surveillance to prevent unauthorized physical manipulation. 4) Enforce strict administrative access controls, limiting level-15 privilege accounts and employing multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 5) Monitor device file systems and configurations for unauthorized or suspicious files placed in locations that could be leveraged for persistent code execution. 6) Implement network segmentation and zero-trust principles to limit the impact of compromised devices. 7) Regularly audit and verify device integrity using cryptographic checks or trusted boot mechanisms where possible. 8) Prepare incident response plans specific to persistent firmware or OS compromises, including device reimaging or replacement procedures. These steps go beyond generic patching advice by emphasizing physical security, privilege management, and proactive detection of suspicious artifacts related to this vulnerability.
Description
A vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with level-15 privileges or an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to an affected device to execute persistent code at boot time and break the chain of trust. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of software packages. 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 persistent code on the underlying operating system. Because this vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass a major security feature of a device, Cisco has raised the Security Impact Rating (SIR) of this advisory from Medium to High.