Vulnerability Monitor

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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 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.


Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.8, with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 44 products from cisco, from cisco, from cisco and 41 others, organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Reported in 2025, 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.


Published

2025-05-07T18:15:37.973

Last Modified

2025-08-04T18:51:54.673

Status

Analyzed

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.0: 6.8 (MEDIUM)

Weaknesses
  • Type: Secondary
    CWE-347

Affected Vendors & Products
Type Vendor Product Version/Range Vulnerable?
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(1\)ex Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(1\)ey Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(1\)ey1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(1\)ey2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(1\)xo Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(1\)xo1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex3 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex4 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex5 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex8 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex10 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex11 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex12 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)ex13 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)se8 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd3 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd4 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd5 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd6 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd7 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)sqd8 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2\)xo Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.0\(2a\)ex5 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e3 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e4 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e5 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e5a Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e5b Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e6 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e7 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e8 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e9 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2\)e10 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2a\)e1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(2a\)e2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(3\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(3\)e1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(3\)e2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(3\)e3 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(3\)e4 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(3a\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e3 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e4 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e5 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e6 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e7 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e8 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e9 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e10 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e10a Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)e10d Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)ea7 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)ea8 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)ea9 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(4\)ea9a Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(5\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(5\)e1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(5\)e2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(5b\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)e0a Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)e0c Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)e1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)e2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)e2a Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)e2b Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)e3 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(6\)eb Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e0a Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e0b Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e0s Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e1a Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e2a Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e3 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e3k Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e4 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e5 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e6 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e7 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e8 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e9 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7\)e10 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7a\)e0b Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(7b\)e0b Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(8\)e Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(8\)e1 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(8\)e2 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(8\)e3 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(8\)e4 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(8\)e5 Yes
Operating System cisco ios 15.2\(8\)e6 Yes
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960cx-8pc-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960cx-8tc-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-24pd-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-24ps-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-24psq-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-24psq-l_cool - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-24td-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-24ts-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-24ts-ll - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-48fpd-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-48fps-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-48lpd-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-48lps-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-48td-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-48ts-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960x-48ts-ll - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-24pd-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-24pd-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-24ps-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-24ps-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-24td-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-24td-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-24ts-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-24ts-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48fpd-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48fpd-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48fps-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48fps-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48lpd-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48lpd-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48lps-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48lps-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48td-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48td-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48ts-i - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_2960xr-48ts-l - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_3560cx-12pc-s - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_3560cx-12pd-s - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_3560cx-12tc-s - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_3560cx-8pc-s - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_3560cx-8pt-s - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_3560cx-8tc-s - No
Hardware cisco catalyst_3560cx-8xpd-s - No

References

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

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.