---
id: CVE-2025-20338
title: "A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device.\r\n\r This vulne…"
summary: "A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device.\r\n\r This vulne…"
severity: medium
cvss: 6
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N'
cwe:
  - CWE-141
vendor: cisco
product: ios_xe
affected:
  - ios_xe = 3.5.0e
  - ios_xe = 3.5.0sq
  - ios_xe = 3.5.1e
  - ios_xe = 3.5.1sq
  - ios_xe = 3.5.2e
  - ios_xe = 3.5.2sq
  - ios_xe = 3.5.3e
  - ios_xe = 3.5.3sq
  - ios_xe = 3.5.4sq
  - ios_xe = 3.5.5sq
  - ios_xe = 3.5.6sq
  - ios_xe = 3.5.7sq
  - ios_xe = 3.5.8sq
  - ios_xe = 3.6.0e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.1e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.2ae
  - ios_xe = 3.6.2e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.3e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.4e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.5ae
  - ios_xe = 3.6.5e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.6e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.7be
  - ios_xe = 3.6.7e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.8e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.9e
  - ios_xe = 3.6.10e
  - ios_xe = 3.7.0e
  - ios_xe = 3.7.1e
  - ios_xe = 3.7.2e
  - ios_xe = 3.7.3e
  - ios_xe = 3.7.4e
  - ios_xe = 3.7.5e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.0e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.1e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.2e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.3e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.4e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.5ae
  - ios_xe = 3.8.5e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.6e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.7e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.8e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.9e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.10e
  - ios_xe = 3.8.10ee
  - ios_xe = 3.9.0e
  - ios_xe = 3.9.1e
  - ios_xe = 3.9.2e
  - ios_xe = 3.10.0ce
  - ios_xe = 3.10.0e
  - ios_xe = 3.10.1e
  - ios_xe = 3.10.2e
  - ios_xe = 3.10.3e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.0e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.0s
  - ios_xe = 3.11.1ae
  - ios_xe = 3.11.1e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.1s
  - ios_xe = 3.11.2e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.2s
  - ios_xe = 3.11.3ae
  - ios_xe = 3.11.3e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.3s
  - ios_xe = 3.11.4e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.4s
  - ios_xe = 3.11.5e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.6e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.7e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.8e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.9e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.10e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.11e
  - ios_xe = 3.11.12e
  - ios_xe = 3.12.0as
  - ios_xe = 3.12.0s
  - ios_xe = 3.12.1s
  - ios_xe = 3.12.2s
  - ios_xe = 3.12.3s
  - ios_xe = 3.12.4s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.0as
  - ios_xe = 3.13.0s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.1s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.2as
  - ios_xe = 3.13.2s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.3s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.4s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.5as
  - ios_xe = 3.13.5s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.6as
  - ios_xe = 3.13.6s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.7as
  - ios_xe = 3.13.7s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.8s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.9s
  - ios_xe = 3.13.10s
  - ios_xe = 3.14.0s
  - ios_xe = 3.14.1s
  - ios_xe = 3.14.2s
  - ios_xe = 3.14.3s
published: '2025-09-24'
updated: '2026-09-26'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-26T00:10:00.127'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20338'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe-arg-inject-EyDDbh4e
    label: psirt@cisco.com
tags:
  - nvd
epss: 0.00161
epssPercentile: 0.04533
ingestedAt: '2026-09-26T00:22:39.960Z'
---

## Overview

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device.

 This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user arguments that are passed to specific CLI commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the device CLI with valid administrative (level 15) credentials and using crafted commands at the CLI prompt. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root.

## Affected

- `ios_xe = 3.5.0e`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.0sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.1e`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.1sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.2e`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.2sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.3e`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.3sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.4sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.5sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.6sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.7sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.5.8sq`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.0e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.1e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.2ae`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.2e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.3e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.4e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.5ae`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.5e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.6e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.7be`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.7e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.8e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.9e`
- `ios_xe = 3.6.10e`
- `ios_xe = 3.7.0e`
- `ios_xe = 3.7.1e`
- `ios_xe = 3.7.2e`
- `ios_xe = 3.7.3e`
- `ios_xe = 3.7.4e`
- `ios_xe = 3.7.5e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.0e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.1e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.2e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.3e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.4e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.5ae`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.5e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.6e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.7e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.8e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.9e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.10e`
- `ios_xe = 3.8.10ee`
- `ios_xe = 3.9.0e`
- `ios_xe = 3.9.1e`
- `ios_xe = 3.9.2e`
- `ios_xe = 3.10.0ce`
- `ios_xe = 3.10.0e`
- `ios_xe = 3.10.1e`
- `ios_xe = 3.10.2e`
- `ios_xe = 3.10.3e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.0e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.0s`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.1ae`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.1e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.1s`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.2e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.2s`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.3ae`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.3e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.3s`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.4e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.4s`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.5e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.6e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.7e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.8e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.9e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.10e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.11e`
- `ios_xe = 3.11.12e`
- `ios_xe = 3.12.0as`
- `ios_xe = 3.12.0s`
- `ios_xe = 3.12.1s`
- `ios_xe = 3.12.2s`
- `ios_xe = 3.12.3s`
- `ios_xe = 3.12.4s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.0as`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.0s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.1s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.2as`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.2s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.3s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.4s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.5as`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.5s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.6as`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.6s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.7as`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.7s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.8s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.9s`
- `ios_xe = 3.13.10s`
- `ios_xe = 3.14.0s`
- `ios_xe = 3.14.1s`
- `ios_xe = 3.14.2s`
- `ios_xe = 3.14.3s`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.