# CVE-2025-20248: Cisco IOS XR Software Image Verification Bypass Vulnerability

> An authenticated local attacker with root privileges can bypass image signature verification to load unsigned software on Cisco IOS XR devices.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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:** 10 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q9rh-69gg-78fc

## What is CVE-2025-20248?

CVE-2025-20248 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xr, published on 10 Sep 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 installation process of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to bypass Cisco IOS XR Software image signature verification and load unsigned 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 incomplete validation of files during the installation of an .iso file. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by modifying contents of the .iso image and then installing and activating it on the device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to load an unsigned file as part of the image activation process.

Weakness: CWE-347 (Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20248?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Ios Xr.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-20248?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20248 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-20248 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20248 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Ios Xr

- [CVE-2020-3118](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3118/): Cisco IOS XR Software Discovery Protocol Format String (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-3569](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3569/): Cisco IOS XR Software DVMRP Memory Exhaustion (high 8.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-3566](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3566/): Cisco IOS XR Software DVMRP Memory Exhaustion (high 8.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-3035](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3035/): Cisco IOS XR Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Denial-of-Service (high 7.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-20821](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-20821/): Cisco IOS XR Open Port (medium 6.5, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-20248 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-20248 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xr, published on 10 Sep 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-2025-20248 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Ios Xr. 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-2025-20248/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20248/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-20248
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20248
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-20248

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20248/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.