Persistent boot-code execution via package path traversal
Published Sep 24, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
Path traversal in Cisco IOS XE Software allows local users or physically proximate attackers to execute persistent code at boot. The software-package validation path accepts a crafted file in a specific device location without containing its resolved path within the intended directory. Exploitation requires level-15 local access or unauthenticated physical access and breaks the chain of trust by running attacker-controlled code on the underlying operating system at boot.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in Cisco IOS XE Software allows local users or physically proximate attackers to execute persistent code at boot. The software-package validation path accepts a crafted file in a specific device location without containing its resolved path within the intended directory. Exploitation requires level-15 local access or unauthenticated physical access and breaks the chain of trust by running attacker-controlled code on the underlying operating system at boot.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-20313
- Published
- Sep 24, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- ClamAV
- Product
- Cisco IOS XE Software
- Classifications
- CWE-35, T1542.003
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 26, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=17.10.1
- Affected versionversion=17.10.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.10.1b
- Affected versionversion=17.11.1
- Affected versionversion=17.11.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1w
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1x
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1y
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1z
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1z1
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1z2
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1z3
- Affected versionversion=17.12.1z4
- Affected versionversion=17.12.2
- Affected versionversion=17.12.2a
- Affected versionversion=17.12.3
- Affected versionversion=17.12.3a
- Affected versionversion=17.12.4
- Affected versionversion=17.12.4a
- Affected versionversion=17.12.4b
- Affected versionversion=17.12.5
- Affected versionversion=17.12.5a
- Affected versionversion=17.12.5b
- Affected versionversion=17.12.5c
- Affected versionversion=17.13.1
- Affected versionversion=17.13.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.14.1
- Affected versionversion=17.14.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.15.1
- Affected versionversion=17.15.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.15.1b
- Affected versionversion=17.15.1w
- Affected versionversion=17.15.1x
- Affected versionversion=17.15.1y
- Affected versionversion=17.15.2
- Affected versionversion=17.15.2a
- Affected versionversion=17.15.2b
- Affected versionversion=17.15.2c
- Affected versionversion=17.15.3
- Affected versionversion=17.15.3a
- Affected versionversion=17.15.3b
- Affected versionversion=17.16.1
- Affected versionversion=17.16.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.17.1
- Affected versionversion=17.3.1
- Affected versionversion=17.3.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.3.1w
- Affected versionversion=17.3.1x
- Affected versionversion=17.3.1z
- Affected versionversion=17.3.2
- Affected versionversion=17.3.2a
- Affected versionversion=17.3.3
- Affected versionversion=17.3.4
- Affected versionversion=17.3.4a
- Affected versionversion=17.3.4b
- Affected versionversion=17.3.4c
- Affected versionversion=17.3.5
- Affected versionversion=17.3.5a
- Affected versionversion=17.3.5b
- Affected versionversion=17.3.6
- Affected versionversion=17.3.7
- Affected versionversion=17.3.8
- Affected versionversion=17.3.8a
- Affected versionversion=17.4.1
- Affected versionversion=17.4.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.4.1b
- Affected versionversion=17.4.2
- Affected versionversion=17.4.2a
- Affected versionversion=17.5.1
- Affected versionversion=17.5.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.6.1
- Affected versionversion=17.6.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.6.1w
- Affected versionversion=17.6.1x
- Affected versionversion=17.6.1y
- Affected versionversion=17.6.1z
- Affected versionversion=17.6.1z1
- Affected versionversion=17.6.2
- Affected versionversion=17.6.3
- Affected versionversion=17.6.3a
- Affected versionversion=17.6.4
- Affected versionversion=17.6.5
- Affected versionversion=17.6.5a
- Affected versionversion=17.6.6
- Affected versionversion=17.6.6a
- Affected versionversion=17.6.7
- Affected versionversion=17.6.8
- Affected versionversion=17.6.8a
- Affected versionversion=17.7.1
- Affected versionversion=17.7.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.7.1b
- Affected versionversion=17.7.2
- Affected versionversion=17.8.1
- Affected versionversion=17.8.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.9.1
- Affected versionversion=17.9.1a
- Affected versionversion=17.9.1w
- Affected versionversion=17.9.1x
- Affected versionversion=17.9.1x1
- Affected versionversion=17.9.1y
- Affected versionversion=17.9.1y1
- Affected versionversion=17.9.2
- Affected versionversion=17.9.2a
- Affected versionversion=17.9.3
- Affected versionversion=17.9.3a
- Affected versionversion=17.9.4
- Affected versionversion=17.9.4a
- Affected versionversion=17.9.5
- Affected versionversion=17.9.5a
- Affected versionversion=17.9.5b
- Affected versionversion=17.9.5e
- Affected versionversion=17.9.5f
- Affected versionversion=17.9.6
- Affected versionversion=17.9.6a
- Affected versionversion=17.9.7
- Affected versionversion=17.9.7a
- Affected versionversion=17.9.7b
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
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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