Is CVE-2025-20338 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2025-20338 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2025-20338 be exploited remotely?

No. CVE-2025-20338 requires local access to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-20338?

CVE-2025-20338 has a CVSS score of 6.7 (MEDIUM).

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MEDIUM

CVE-2025-20338

CWE-141Published: September 24, 2025· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

6.7

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

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.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2025-20338 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires high privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 6.7.