A vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute persistent code at boot time and break the chain of trust. This vulnerability is due to incorrect validations by boot scripts when specific ROM monitor (ROMMON) variables are set. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by installing code to a specific directory in the underlying operating system (OS) and setting a specific ROMMON variable. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute persistent code on the underlying OS. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need access to the root shell on the device or have physical access to the device.
This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.8, indicating it requires adjacent network access with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from cisco organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2020, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2020-09-24T18:15:18.730
2024-11-21T05:31:00.430
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 6.8 (MEDIUM)
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
3.9
10.0
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.0sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.1asp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.1bsp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.1csp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.1gsp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.1hsp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.1isp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.1sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.2asp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.2sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.3asp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.3bsp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.3sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.4sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.5sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.6sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.7sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.8asp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.18.8sp | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.4a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.4s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.5 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.5a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.5b | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.6 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.7 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.7a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.7.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.7.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.7.1b | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.7.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.7.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.7.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1b | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1c | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1d | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1e | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.1b | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.1c | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.1d | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.2a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.2s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.3a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.3h | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.3s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.4c | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.5 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.5f | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1b | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1c | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1d | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1e | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1f | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1g | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1b | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1c | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1c | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1t | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1w | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1x | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1y | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.2a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.2s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.2t | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.3a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.1.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.1.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.1.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.1.1t | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For cisco's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.