Persistent boot code execution via package validation
Published Sep 24, 2025 · Updated Sep 24, 2025
Secure boot bypass in Cisco IOS XE Software allows local users with level-15 privileges to execute persistent code at boot. Software-package validation improperly accepts a crafted file placed in a specific device location, allowing the file to break the chain of trust. Exploitation requires either authenticated local level-15 access or unauthenticated physical access and results in persistent code execution on the underlying operating system.
Summary
What happened
Secure boot bypass in Cisco IOS XE Software allows local users with level-15 privileges to execute persistent code at boot. Software-package validation improperly accepts a crafted file placed in a specific device location, allowing the file to break the chain of trust. Exploitation requires either authenticated local level-15 access or unauthenticated physical access and results in persistent code execution on the underlying operating system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-20314
- Published
- Sep 24, 2025
- Updated
- Sep 24, 2025
- Vendor
- ClamAV
- Product
- Cisco IOS XE Software
- Classifications
- CWE-232, T1542.003
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 24, 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.
- 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=17.15.1z
- 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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