# CVE-2025-20313: Path traversal in Cisco IOS XE Software

> An attacker with local access or physical presence can exploit path traversal to execute persistent code and bypass security features on Cisco IOS XE devices.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 24 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8vx8-2pfg-45rm

## What is CVE-2025-20313?

CVE-2025-20313 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe, published on 24 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS XE Software of could allow an authenticated, local attacker with level-15 privileges or an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to the device to execute persistent code at boot time and break the chain of trust.

 These vulnerabilities are due path traversal and improper image integrity validation.  A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute persistent code on the underlying operating system.

 Because this allows the attacker to bypass a major security feature of the device, Cisco has raised the Security Impact Rating (SIR) of this advisory from Medium to High.

 For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details ["#details"] section of this advisory.

   

  

  

 ERP

Weakness: CWE-35 (Path Traversal: '.../...//')

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20313?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Ios Xe.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-20313?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20313 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-20313 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20313 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-2025-20313 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-20313 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe, published on 24 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-2025-20313 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-2025-20313/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20313/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-20313
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20313
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-20313

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20313/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.