Vulnerability in Cisco 8011-4g24y4h-I

CVE-2025-20177

A vulnerability in the boot process of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to bypass Cisco IOS XR image signature verification and load unverified 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 in the boot verification process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by manipulating the system configuration options to bypass some of the integrity checks that are performed during the boot process. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to control the boot configuration, which could enable them to bypass the requirement to run Cisco-signed images or alter the security properties of the running system. Note: Because exploitation of this vulnerability could result in the attacker bypassing Cisco image verification, Cisco has raised the Security Impact Rating (SIR) of this advisory from Medium to High.

EPSS: 0.002 (6.3th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 6.7 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-20177?
CVE-2025-20177 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco 8011-4g24y4h-I, classified under Improper Handling of Insufficient Privileges. CVSS score: 6.7/10. Published 2025-03-12.
How severe is CVE-2025-20177?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 6.7 out of 10.