CVE-2020-3213

Priv15-to-root escalation via ROMMON boot parameters

Published Jun 3, 2020 · Updated Nov 15, 2024

Privilege escalation in Cisco IOS XE Software allows local users with Priv15 access to execute arbitrary commands as root at boot. ROMMON accepts special parameters supplied to the device during initial boot and uses them without blocking root-level command execution. Exploitation requires authenticated local Priv15 access and an initial boot, after which arbitrary commands run with root privileges.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.43%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Cisco IOS XE Software allows local users with Priv15 access to execute arbitrary commands as root at boot. ROMMON accepts special parameters supplied to the device during initial boot and uses them without blocking root-level command execution. Exploitation requires authenticated local Priv15 access and an initial boot, after which arbitrary commands run with root privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-3213
Published
Jun 3, 2020
Updated
Nov 15, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco IOS XE Software
Classifications
CWE-264, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 3, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 15, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco IOS XE Softwareversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
6.7Cisco Systems, Inc.CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:X/RL:X/RC:X
6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-264Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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