CVE-2025-20143 Cisco IOS XR Software Secure Boot Bypass Vulnerability
Authenticated local attackers with root privileges can bypass Secure Boot to load unverified software on Cisco IOS XR devices.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2025-20143?
CVE-2025-20143 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xr, published on 12 Mar 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official 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.
Weakness: CWE-347
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20143?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Cisco Ios Xr.
How do I fix CVE-2025-20143?
No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20143 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2025-20143 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20143 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Ios Xr
- CVE-2020-3118 Cisco IOS XR Software Discovery Protocol Format String
- CVE-2020-3569 Cisco IOS XR Software DVMRP Memory Exhaustion
- CVE-2020-3566 Cisco IOS XR Software DVMRP Memory Exhaustion
- CVE-2010-3035 Cisco IOS XR Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Denial-of-Service
- CVE-2022-20821 Cisco IOS XR Open Port
Sources
Also known as GHSA-2w36-grgh-xprc.