CVE-2022-20661

Permanent boot failure via ROMMON boot-ROM corruption

Published Apr 15, 2022 · Updated Nov 6, 2024

Boot-loader flaw in Cisco IOS ROMMON Software 15.2(7r)E2 allows physically proximate attackers to cause permanent boot failure. The development boot loader exposes ROMMON commands that can irrecoverably corrupt the boot ROM. Physical access is required to reboot the device, interrupt the boot cycle, and issue the commands; the device continues operating until its next reload or power cycle.

CVSS severity4.6
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Boot-loader flaw in Cisco IOS ROMMON Software 15.2(7r)E2 allows physically proximate attackers to cause permanent boot failure. The development boot loader exposes ROMMON commands that can irrecoverably corrupt the boot ROM. Physical access is required to reboot the device, interrupt the boot cycle, and issue the commands; the device continues operating until its next reload or power cycle.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-20661
Published
Apr 15, 2022
Updated
Nov 6, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco IOS ROMMON Software
Classifications
CWE-489, T1495
Attack vector
physical
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 15, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 6, 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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorphysical
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco IOS ROMMON Softwareversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

4.6NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.9NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
4.6CiscoCVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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)
Vectorphysical
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-489Active Debug Code
T1495Firmware Corruption

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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