#VU105697 OS Command Injection in Cisco IOS XR - CVE-2025-20138

Vulnerability identifier: #VU105697

Vulnerability risk: Low

CVSSv4.0: 5.9 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Clear]

CVE-ID: CVE-2025-20138

CWE-ID: CWE-78

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
Cisco IOS XR
Operating systems & Components / Operating system

Vendor: Cisco Systems, Inc

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to execute arbitrary shell commands on the target system.

The vulnerability exists due to improper input validation in the CLI. A local user can pass specially crafted data to the application and execute arbitrary OS commands on the target system.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability may result in complete compromise of vulnerable system.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Cisco IOS XR: 24.1, 24.2, 24.3

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External links
https://blog.apnic.net/2024/09/02/crafting-endless-as-paths-in-bgp/
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxr-priv-esc-GFQjxvOF

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.