CVE-2025-20177

MEDIUM
Published Mar 12, 2025 Modified Aug 6, 2025 CWE-274

Description

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.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.7
MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-274 CWE-274

Affected Products

Vendor Product
cisco ios_xr
cisco ios_xr
cisco ios_xr
cisco ios_xr
cisco 8011-4g24y4h-i
cisco 8101-32fh
cisco 8101-32fh-o
cisco 8101-32h-o
cisco 8102-28fh-dpu-o
cisco 8102-64h
cisco 8102-64h-o
cisco 8111-32eh-o
cisco 8122-64eh-o
cisco 8122-64ehf-o
cisco 8201
cisco 8201-24h8fh
cisco 8201-32fh
cisco 8201-32fh-o
cisco 8202
cisco 8202-32fh-m
cisco 8212-48fh-m
cisco 8404
cisco 8501-sys-mt
cisco 8608
cisco 8700
cisco 8711-32fh-m
cisco 8712-mod-m
cisco 8804
cisco 8808
cisco 8812
cisco 8818
cisco ncs_1010
cisco ncs_1014
cisco ncs_540-12z20g-sys-a
cisco ncs_540-12z20g-sys-d
cisco ncs_540-24q2c2dd-sys
cisco ncs_540-24q8l2dd-sys
cisco ncs_540-24z8q2c-sys
cisco ncs_540-28z4c-sys-a
cisco ncs_540-28z4c-sys-d
cisco ncs_540-6z14s-sys-d
cisco ncs_540-6z18g-sys-a
cisco ncs_540-6z18g-sys-d
cisco ncs_540-acc-sys
cisco ncs_540-fh-agg
cisco ncs_540-fh-csr-sys
cisco ncs_540x-12z16g-sys-a
cisco ncs_540x-12z16g-sys-d
cisco ncs_540x-16z4g8q2c-a
cisco ncs_540x-16z4g8q2c-d
cisco ncs_540x-16z8q2c-d
cisco ncs_540x-4z14g2q-a
cisco ncs_540x-4z14g2q-d
cisco ncs_540x-6z18g-sys-a
cisco ncs_540x-6z18g-sys-d
cisco ncs_540x-8z16g-sys-a
cisco ncs_540x-8z16g-sys-d
cisco ncs_540x-acc-sys
cisco ncs_57b1-5dse-sys
cisco ncs_57b1-6d24-sys
cisco ncs_57c1-48q6-sys
cisco ncs_57c3-mod-sys
cisco ncs_57d2-18dd-sys

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 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. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.7 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2025-20177? +
CVE-2025-20177 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.7 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-20177? +
CVE-2025-20177 affects products from cisco, specifically: 8011-4g24y4h-i, 8101-32fh, 8101-32fh-o, 8101-32h-o, 8102-28fh-dpu-o, 8102-64h, 8102-64h-o, 8111-32eh-o, 8122-64eh-o, 8122-64ehf-o, 8201, 8201-24h8fh, 8201-32fh, 8201-32fh-o, 8202, 8202-32fh-m, 8212-48fh-m, 8404, 8501-sys-mt, 8608, 8700, 8711-32fh-m, 8712-mod-m, 8804, 8808, 8812, 8818, ios_xr, ncs_1010, ncs_1014, ncs_540-12z20g-sys-a, ncs_540-12z20g-sys-d, ncs_540-24q2c2dd-sys, ncs_540-24q8l2dd-sys, ncs_540-24z8q2c-sys, ncs_540-28z4c-sys-a, ncs_540-28z4c-sys-d, ncs_540-6z14s-sys-d, ncs_540-6z18g-sys-a, ncs_540-6z18g-sys-d, ncs_540-acc-sys, ncs_540-fh-agg, ncs_540-fh-csr-sys, ncs_540x-12z16g-sys-a, ncs_540x-12z16g-sys-d, ncs_540x-16z4g8q2c-a, ncs_540x-16z4g8q2c-d, ncs_540x-16z8q2c-d, ncs_540x-4z14g2q-a, ncs_540x-4z14g2q-d, ncs_540x-6z18g-sys-a, ncs_540x-6z18g-sys-d, ncs_540x-8z16g-sys-a, ncs_540x-8z16g-sys-d, ncs_540x-acc-sys, ncs_57b1-5dse-sys, ncs_57b1-6d24-sys, ncs_57c1-48q6-sys, ncs_57c3-mod-sys, ncs_57d2-18dd-sys. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-20177? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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