Multiple vulnerabilities in the initialization routines that are executed during bootup of Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco ASR 900 Series Aggregation Services Routers with a Route Switch Processor 3 (RSP3) installed could allow an authenticated, local attacker with high privileges to execute persistent code at bootup and break the chain of trust. These vulnerabilities are due to incorrect validations by boot scripts when specific ROM monitor (ROMMON) variables are set. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by copying a specific file to the local file system of an affected device and defining specific ROMMON variables. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to run arbitrary code on the underlying operating system (OS) with root privileges. To exploit these vulnerabilities, an attacker would need to have 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 6.7, requiring local system access to exploit 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 7 products from cisco, from cisco, from cisco and 4 others, 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.
2020-09-24T18:15:21.417
2024-11-21T05:31:13.650
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 6.7 (MEDIUM)
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
3.4
10.0
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.2 | Yes |
| Hardware | cisco | asr_902 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asr_903 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | asr_907 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | ncs_4206 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | ncs_4216 | - | No |
| Hardware | cisco | ncs_4216_f2b | - | No |
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.