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MEDIUM · 6.8

CVE-2025-20181

A vulnerability in Cisco IOS Software for Cisco Catalyst 2960X, 2960XR, 2960CX, and 3560CX Series Switches could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 or an unauthenticated at...

Vulnerability Description

A vulnerability in Cisco IOS Software for Cisco Catalyst 2960X, 2960XR, 2960CX, and 3560CX Series Switches could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 or an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to the device to execute persistent code at boot time and break the chain of trust. This vulnerability is due to missing signature verification for specific files that may be loaded during the device boot process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by placing a crafted file into a specific location on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code at boot time. 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.

CVSS Score

6.8

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack Vector
PHYSICAL
Attack Complexity
LOW
Privileges Required
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
HIGH

Affected Products

VendorProductVersions
CiscoIos15.0\(1\)ex
CiscoCatalyst 2960Cx-8Pc-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960Cx-8Tc-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-24Pd-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-24Ps-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-24Psq-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-24Psq-L Cool-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-24Td-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-24Ts-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-24Ts-Ll-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-48Fpd-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-48Fps-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-48Lpd-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-48Lps-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-48Td-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-48Ts-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960X-48Ts-Ll-
CiscoCatalyst 2960Xr-24Pd-I-
CiscoCatalyst 2960Xr-24Pd-L-
CiscoCatalyst 2960Xr-24Ps-I-

Related Weaknesses (CWE)

CWE-347

References

FAQ

What is CVE-2025-20181?

CVE-2025-20181 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 6.8 (MEDIUM). A vulnerability in Cisco IOS Software for Cisco Catalyst 2960X, 2960XR, 2960CX, and 3560CX Series Switches could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 or an unauthenticated at...

How severe is CVE-2025-20181?

CVE-2025-20181 has been rated MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 6.8/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.

Is there a patch for CVE-2025-20181?

Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Cisco Ios, Cisco Catalyst 2960Cx-8Pc-L, Cisco Catalyst 2960Cx-8Tc-L, Cisco Catalyst 2960X-24Pd-L, Cisco Catalyst 2960X-24Ps-L.