# CVE-2025-20221: Security feature bypass in Cisco IOS XE Software

> Unauthenticated remote attackers can bypass Layer 3 and Layer 4 traffic filters on Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN devices by sending crafted packets.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 May 2025
- **Updated:** 7 May 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5983-2qrf-rph2

## What is CVE-2025-20221?

CVE-2025-20221 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe, published on 7 May 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the packet filtering features of Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass Layer 3 and Layer 4 traffic filters. 

 This vulnerability is due to improper traffic filtering conditions on an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted packet to the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the Layer 3 and Layer 4 traffic filters and inject a crafted packet into the network.

Weakness: CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20221?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Ios Xe.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-20221?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20221 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-20221 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20221 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-2025-20221 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-20221 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe, published on 7 May 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20221 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-2025-20221/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20221/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-20221
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20221
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-20221

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20221/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.