vulnerability
Cisco XE: CVE-2025-20155: Cisco IOS XE Software Bootstrap Arbitrary File Write Vulnerability
| Severity | CVSS | Published | Added | Modified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | (AV:L/AC:L/Au:M/C:C/I:C/A:N) | May 7, 2025 | May 9, 2025 | May 9, 2025 |
Description
A vulnerability in the bootstrap loading of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to write arbitrary files to an affected system.
This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of the bootstrap file that is read by the system software when a device is first deployed in SD-WAN mode or when an administrator configures SD-Routing on the device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by modifying a bootstrap file generated by Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, loading it into the device flash, and then either reloading the device in a green field deployment in SD-WAN mode or configuring the device with SD-Routing. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform arbitrary file writes to the underlying operating system.
Solution
Explore Exposure Command
Confidently identify and prioritize exposures from endpoint to cloud with full attack surface visibility and threat-aware risk context.