CVE-2024-20320

Root privilege escalation via crafted SSH arguments

Published Mar 13, 2024 · Updated Aug 16, 2024

Privilege escalation in the SSH client CLI of Cisco IOS XR Software allows local users with low privileges to gain root access. The SSH client command accepts crafted CLI arguments without sufficient validation before processing them in a privileged context. Exploitation requires authenticated, low-privileged CLI access on an affected LNT image and yields root privileges on the device.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.19%
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 the SSH client CLI of Cisco IOS XR Software allows local users with low privileges to gain root access. The SSH client command accepts crafted CLI arguments without sufficient validation before processing them in a privileged context. Exploitation requires authenticated, low-privileged CLI access on an affected LNT image and yields root privileges on the device.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-20320
Published
Mar 13, 2024
Updated
Aug 16, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco IOS XR Software
Classifications
CWE-266, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 13, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=7.10.1
  2. Affected versionversion=7.2.1
  3. Affected versionversion=7.2.2
  4. Affected versionversion=7.3.1
  5. Affected versionversion=7.3.15
  6. Affected versionversion=7.3.2
  7. Affected versionversion=7.3.3
  8. Affected versionversion=7.3.5
  9. Affected versionversion=7.4.1
  10. Affected versionversion=7.4.2
  11. Affected versionversion=7.5.1
  12. Affected versionversion=7.5.2
  13. Affected versionversion=7.5.3
  14. Affected versionversion=7.5.4
  15. Affected versionversion=7.5.5
  16. Affected versionversion=7.6.1
  17. Affected versionversion=7.6.2
  18. Affected versionversion=7.7.1
  19. Affected versionversion=7.7.2
  20. Affected versionversion=7.7.21
  21. Affected versionversion=7.8.1
  22. Affected versionversion=7.8.2
  23. Affected versionversion=7.9.1
  24. Affected versionversion=7.9.2
  25. Affected versionversion=7.9.21

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco IOS XR Softwareversion=7.10.1; version=7.2.1; version=7.2.2; version=7.3.1; version=7.3.15; version=7.3.2; version=7.3.3; version=7.3.5; version=7.4.1; version=7.4.2; version=7.5.1; version=7.5.2; version=7.5.3; version=7.5.4; version=7.5.5; version=7.6.1; version=7.6.2; version=7.7.1; version=7.7.2; version=7.7.21; version=7.8.1; version=7.8.2; version=7.9.1; version=7.9.2; version=7.9.21

Published CVSS scores

7.8Cisco Systems, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-266Incorrect Privilege Assignment
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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