CVE-2025-20313: cisco cisco ios xe software Path Traversal: '.../...//'

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2025-20313 is a medium (CVSS 6.7) Path Traversal: '.../...//' vulnerability in cisco cisco ios xe software. EPSS estimates a 0.18% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 7.5% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 24-09-2025
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 26-02-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS XE Software of could allow an authenticated, local attacker with level-15 privileges or an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to the device to execute persistent code at boot time and break the chain of trust. These vulnerabilities are due path traversal and improper image integrity validation. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute persistent code on the underlying operating system. Because this allows the attacker to bypass a major security feature of the device, Cisco has raised the Security Impact Rating (SIR) of this advisory from Medium to High. For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details ["#details"] section of this advisory. ERP

• CWE-35Path Traversal: '.../...//'The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize '.../...//' (doubled triple dot slash) sequences that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.