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CVE-2025-20186· NVD / CVE Program· CNA cisco

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of the Wireless LAN Controller feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authent

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of the Wireless LAN Controller feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with a lobby ambassador user account to perform a command injection attack against an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary Cisco IOS XE Software CLI commands with privilege level 15. Note: This vulnerability is exploitable only if the attacker obtains the credentials for a lobby ambassador account. This account is not configured by default.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.1—No exploit No fix recorded
Published
May 7, 2025
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.9% · 57th percentile
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Report tools

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Action score

35

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.9%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · cisco
8.8
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help

Affected systems

VendorProduct
ciscoios xe

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • cisco ios xe16.12.4
  • cisco ios xe16.12.4a
  • cisco ios xe16.12.5
  • cisco ios xe16.12.6
  • cisco ios xe16.12.6a
  • cisco ios xe16.12.7
  • cisco ios xe16.12.8
  • cisco ios xe17.10.1
  • cisco ios xe17.10.1a
  • cisco ios xe17.11.1
  • cisco ios xe17.11.1a
  • cisco ios xe17.12.1
  • cisco ios xe17.12.1a
  • cisco ios xe17.12.2
  • cisco ios xe17.12.3
  • cisco ios xe17.12.3a
  • cisco ios xe17.12.4
  • cisco ios xe17.12.4a
  • cisco ios xe17.12.4b
  • cisco ios xe17.13.1

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (cisco). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Cisco Cisco IOS XE Software

    • 16.12.8, 16.12.4, 16.12.4a, 16.12.5, 16.12.6, 16.12.6a, 16.12.7, 17.2.2, 17.2.3, 17.3.1, 17.3.2, 17.3.3 … (+28)affected

Same product

cisco: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2023-20198Cisco is providing an update for the ongoing investigation into observed exploitation of the web UI feature in Cisco IOS XE Software.KEV
    100Now
  • CVE-2023-20273A vulnerability in the web UI feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject commands with the priKEV
    85Now
  • CVE-2018-0151A vulnerability in the quality of service (QoS) subsystem of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, reKEV
    73This week
  • CVE-2025-20188A vulnerability in the Out-of-Band Access Point (AP) Image Download, the Clean Air Spectral Recording, and the client debug bundles features
    48Plan
  • CVE-2019-12643Cisco REST API Container for IOS XE Software Authentication Bypass Vulnerability
    42Plan
  • CVE-2018-0315A vulnerability in the authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) security services of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthe
    41Plan

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2025-201930 days apartA vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, low-privileged, remote attacker
    26Monitor
  • CVE-2025-201940 days apartA vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, low-privileged, remote attacker
    21Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-78 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

Root cause

User input is inserted as text into a shell command. The shell may interpret special characters in the input as part of the command.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-78 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

ts
const host = req.body.host;exec("ping -c 1 " + host, onResult);

Fixed

ts
const host = req.body.host;if (!/^[a-z0-9.-]{1,253}$/i.test(host)) return res.sendStatus(400);execFile("ping", ["-c", "1", host], onResult);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records