# CVE-2025-20197: Privilege escalation in Cisco IOS XE Software

> An authenticated local attacker with privilege level 15 can elevate privileges to root on Cisco IOS XE devices via crafted configuration commands.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 May 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2h9x-xhwj-wr94

## What is CVE-2025-20197?

CVE-2025-20197 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe, published on 7 May 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 CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device.

 This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing specific configuration commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input in specific configuration commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The security impact rating (SIR) of this advisory has been raised to High because an attacker could gain access to the underlying operating system of the affected device and perform potentially undetected actions.

 Note: The attacker must have privileges to enter configuration mode on the affected device. This is usually referred to as privilege level 15.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20197?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Ios Xe.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-20197?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20197 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-20197 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20197 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Ios Xe

- [CVE-2023-20198](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20198/): Cisco IOS XE Web UI Privilege Escalation (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-0151](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0151/): Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software Quality of Service Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-20273](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20273/): Cisco IOS XE Web UI Command Injection (high 7.2, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-20188](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20188/): Hardcoded credentials in Cisco IOS XE Software (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2021-34770](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34770/): Cisco IOS XE Software for Catalyst 9000 Family Wireless Controllers CAPWAP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-20197 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-20197 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe, published on 7 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20197 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Ios Xe. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20197/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20197/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-20197
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20197
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-20197

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20197/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.