CVE-2025-20161

Root command execution via crafted software image

Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated Feb 27, 2025

Command injection in Cisco NX-OS Software on Nexus 3000 and 9000 switches allows local users with Administrator credentials to execute root commands. The software upgrade process fails to validate specific elements of an installed image, permitting crafted image content to reach command execution on the underlying operating system. Exploitation requires valid Administrator credentials, image installation, and standalone NX-OS mode; successful execution grants root privileges.

CVSS severity5.1
Medium
EPSS probability0.49%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Command injection in Cisco NX-OS Software on Nexus 3000 and 9000 switches allows local users with Administrator credentials to execute root commands. The software upgrade process fails to validate specific elements of an installed image, permitting crafted image content to reach command execution on the underlying operating system. Exploitation requires valid Administrator credentials, image installation, and standalone NX-OS mode; successful execution grants root privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-20161
Published
Feb 26, 2025
Updated
Feb 27, 2025
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco NX-OS Software
Classifications
CWE-78, T1059
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 27, 2025Record 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=10.1(1)
  2. Affected versionversion=10.1(2)
  3. Affected versionversion=10.1(2t)
  4. Affected versionversion=10.2(1)
  5. Affected versionversion=10.2(1q)
  6. Affected versionversion=10.2(2)
  7. Affected versionversion=10.2(2a)
  8. Affected versionversion=10.2(3)
  9. Affected versionversion=10.2(3t)
  10. Affected versionversion=10.2(3v)
  11. Affected versionversion=10.2(4)
  12. Affected versionversion=10.2(5)
  13. Affected versionversion=10.2(6)
  14. Affected versionversion=10.2(7)
  15. Affected versionversion=10.2(8)
  16. Affected versionversion=10.3(1)
  17. Affected versionversion=10.3(2)
  18. Affected versionversion=10.3(3)
  19. Affected versionversion=10.3(3o)
  20. Affected versionversion=10.3(3p)
  21. Affected versionversion=10.3(3q)
  22. Affected versionversion=10.3(3r)
  23. Affected versionversion=10.3(3w)
  24. Affected versionversion=10.3(3x)
  25. Affected versionversion=10.3(4)
  26. Affected versionversion=10.3(4a)
  27. Affected versionversion=10.3(4g)
  28. Affected versionversion=10.3(4h)
  29. Affected versionversion=10.3(5)
  30. Affected versionversion=10.3(6)
  31. Affected versionversion=10.3(99w)
  32. Affected versionversion=10.3(99x)
  33. Affected versionversion=10.4(1)
  34. Affected versionversion=10.4(2)
  35. Affected versionversion=10.4(3)
  36. Affected versionversion=10.5(1)
  37. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(1)
  38. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(10)
  39. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(10a)
  40. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(11)
  41. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(11a)
  42. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(11b)
  43. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(2)
  44. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(3)
  45. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(4)
  46. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(4a)
  47. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(5)
  48. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(6)
  49. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(7)
  50. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(7a)
  51. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(7b)
  52. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(8)
  53. Affected versionversion=6.0(2)A8(9)
  54. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)F3(1)
  55. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)F3(2)
  56. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)F3(3)
  57. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)F3(3a)
  58. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)F3(3c)
  59. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)F3(4)
  60. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)F3(5)
  61. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(1)
  62. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(1t)
  63. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(2)
  64. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(3)
  65. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(4)
  66. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(5)
  67. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(6)
  68. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(6t)
  69. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(7)
  70. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(8)
  71. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(8a)
  72. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(8b)
  73. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(8z)
  74. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I4(9)
  75. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I5(1)
  76. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I5(2)
  77. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I5(3)
  78. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I5(3a)
  79. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I5(3b)
  80. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I6(1)
  81. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I6(2)
  82. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(1)
  83. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(10)
  84. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(2)
  85. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(3)
  86. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(3z)
  87. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(4)
  88. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(5)
  89. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(5a)
  90. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(6)
  91. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(6z)
  92. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(7)
  93. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(8)
  94. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(9)
  95. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)I7(9w)
  96. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)IA7(1)
  97. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)IA7(2)
  98. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)IC4(4)
  99. Affected versionversion=7.0(3)IM7(2)
  100. Affected versionversion=9.2(1)
  101. Affected versionversion=9.2(2)
  102. Affected versionversion=9.2(2t)
  103. Affected versionversion=9.2(2v)
  104. Affected versionversion=9.2(3)
  105. Affected versionversion=9.2(3y)
  106. Affected versionversion=9.2(4)
  107. Affected versionversion=9.3(1)
  108. Affected versionversion=9.3(10)
  109. Affected versionversion=9.3(11)
  110. Affected versionversion=9.3(12)
  111. Affected versionversion=9.3(13)
  112. Affected versionversion=9.3(14)
  113. Affected versionversion=9.3(1z)
  114. Affected versionversion=9.3(2)
  115. Affected versionversion=9.3(3)
  116. Affected versionversion=9.3(4)
  117. Affected versionversion=9.3(5)
  118. Affected versionversion=9.3(5w)
  119. Affected versionversion=9.3(6)
  120. Affected versionversion=9.3(7)
  121. Affected versionversion=9.3(7a)
  122. Affected versionversion=9.3(7k)
  123. Affected versionversion=9.3(8)
  124. Affected versionversion=9.3(9)

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco NX-OS Softwareversion=10.1(1); version=10.1(2); version=10.1(2t); version=10.2(1); version=10.2(1q); version=10.2(2); version=10.2(2a); version=10.2(3); version=10.2(3t); version=10.2(3v); version=10.2(4); version=10.2(5); version=10.2(6); version=10.2(7); version=10.2(8); version=10.3(1); version=10.3(2); version=10.3(3); version=10.3(3o); version=10.3(3p); version=10.3(3q); version=10.3(3r); version=10.3(3w); version=10.3(3x); version=10.3(4); version=10.3(4a); version=10.3(4g); version=10.3(4h); version=10.3(5); version=10.3(6); version=10.3(99w); version=10.3(99x); version=10.4(1); version=10.4(2); version=10.4(3); version=10.5(1); version=6.0(2)A8(1); version=6.0(2)A8(10); version=6.0(2)A8(10a); version=6.0(2)A8(11); version=6.0(2)A8(11a); version=6.0(2)A8(11b); version=6.0(2)A8(2); version=6.0(2)A8(3); version=6.0(2)A8(4); version=6.0(2)A8(4a); version=6.0(2)A8(5); version=6.0(2)A8(6); version=6.0(2)A8(7); version=6.0(2)A8(7a); version=6.0(2)A8(7b); version=6.0(2)A8(8); version=6.0(2)A8(9); version=7.0(3)F3(1); version=7.0(3)F3(2); version=7.0(3)F3(3); version=7.0(3)F3(3a); version=7.0(3)F3(3c); version=7.0(3)F3(4); version=7.0(3)F3(5); version=7.0(3)I4(1); version=7.0(3)I4(1t); version=7.0(3)I4(2); version=7.0(3)I4(3); version=7.0(3)I4(4); version=7.0(3)I4(5); version=7.0(3)I4(6); version=7.0(3)I4(6t); version=7.0(3)I4(7); version=7.0(3)I4(8); version=7.0(3)I4(8a); version=7.0(3)I4(8b); version=7.0(3)I4(8z); version=7.0(3)I4(9); version=7.0(3)I5(1); version=7.0(3)I5(2); version=7.0(3)I5(3); version=7.0(3)I5(3a); version=7.0(3)I5(3b); version=7.0(3)I6(1); version=7.0(3)I6(2); version=7.0(3)I7(1); version=7.0(3)I7(10); version=7.0(3)I7(2); version=7.0(3)I7(3); version=7.0(3)I7(3z); version=7.0(3)I7(4); version=7.0(3)I7(5); version=7.0(3)I7(5a); version=7.0(3)I7(6); version=7.0(3)I7(6z); version=7.0(3)I7(7); version=7.0(3)I7(8); version=7.0(3)I7(9); version=7.0(3)I7(9w); version=7.0(3)IA7(1); version=7.0(3)IA7(2); version=7.0(3)IC4(4); version=7.0(3)IM7(2); version=9.2(1); version=9.2(2); version=9.2(2t); version=9.2(2v); version=9.2(3); version=9.2(3y); version=9.2(4); version=9.3(1); version=9.3(10); version=9.3(11); version=9.3(12); version=9.3(13); version=9.3(14); version=9.3(1z); version=9.3(2); version=9.3(3); version=9.3(4); version=9.3(5); version=9.3(5w); version=9.3(6); version=9.3(7); version=9.3(7a); version=9.3(7k); version=9.3(8); version=9.3(9)

Published CVSS scores

5.1CiscoCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N/E:X/RL:X/RC:X

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter

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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