VPN vulnerabilities

An improper check or handling of exceptional conditions vulnerability [CWE-703] in FortiOS version 7.4.0 through 7.4.3 and before 7.2.7, FortiProxy version 7.4.0 through 7.4.3 and before 7.2.9, FortiPAM before 1.2.0 and FortiSwitchManager version 7.2.0 through 7.2.3 and version 7.0.0 through 7.0.3 fgfm daemon may allow an unauthenticated attacker to repeatedly reset the fgfm connection via crafted SSL encrypted TCP requests.

A stack-based buffer overflow in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.4.0 through 7.4.1 and 7.2.0 through 7.2.7 and 7.0.0 through 7.0.12 and 6.4.6 through 6.4.15 and 6.2.9 through 6.2.16 and 6.0.13 through 6.0.18 allows attacker to execute unauthorized code or commands via specially crafted CLI commands.

An Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel vulnerability [CWE-288] in FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.7, 7.2.0 through 7.2.11, 7.0.6 and above; and FortiProxy 7.6.0 through 7.6.2, 7.4.0 through 7.4.8, 7.2 all versions, 7.0.5 and above may allow an authenticated attacker to elevate their privileges via triggering a malicious Webhook action in the Automation Stitch component.

Update: On November 5, 2025, Cisco became aware of a new attack variant against devices running Cisco Secure ASA Software or Cisco Secure FTD Software releases that are affected by CVE-2025-20333 and CVE-2025-20362. This attack can cause unpatched devices to unexpectedly reload, leading to denial of service (DoS) conditions. Cisco strongly recommends that all customers upgrade to the fixed software releases that are listed in the Fixed Software ["#fs"] section of this advisory. A vulnerability in the VPN web server of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to access restricted URL endpoints that are related to remote access VPN that should otherwise be inaccessible without authentication. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input in HTTP(S) requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to a targeted web server on a device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access a restricted URL without authentication.

A vulnerability in the VPN web server of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software and Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input in HTTP(S) requests. An attacker with valid VPN user credentials could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code as root, possibly resulting in the complete compromise of the affected device.

A vulnerability in the web services of Cisco Secure Firewall Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software, Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense (FTD) Software, Cisco IOS Software, Cisco IOS XE Software, and Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker (Cisco ASA and FTD Software) or authenticated, remote attacker (Cisco IOS, IOS XE, and IOS XR Software) with low user privileges to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of user-supplied input in HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to a targeted web service on an affected device after obtaining additional information about the system, overcoming exploit mitigations, or both. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code as root, which may lead to the complete compromise of the affected device. For more information about this vulnerability, see the Details ["#details"] section of this advisory.

A vulnerability in the web UI of Cisco IOS Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with low privileges to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted URL in an HTTP request. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition.

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.

A vulnerability in the Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR) feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause an affected device to reload, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability is due to improper handling of malformed Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points (CAPWAP) packets. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malformed CAPWAP packets through an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the device to reload unexpectedly, resulting in a DoS condition.

A vulnerability in the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow the following: An authenticated, remote attacker with low privileges could cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device that is running Cisco IOS Software or Cisco IOS XE Software. To cause the DoS, the attacker must have the SNMPv2c or earlier read-only community string or valid SNMPv3 user credentials. An authenticated, remote attacker with high privileges could execute code as the root user on an affected device that is running Cisco IOS XE Software. To execute code as the root user, the attacker must have the SNMPv1 or v2c read-only community string or valid SNMPv3 user credentials and administrative or privilege 15 credentials on the affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted SNMP packet to an affected device over IPv4 or IPv6 networks. This vulnerability is due to a stack overflow condition in the SNMP subsystem of the affected software. A successful exploit could allow a low-privileged attacker to cause the affected system to reload, resulting in a DoS condition, or allow a high-privileged attacker to execute arbitrary code as the root user and obtain full control of the affected system. Note: This vulnerability affects all versions of SNMP.

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

A vulnerability in the handling of certain Ethernet frames in Cisco IOS XE Software for Catalyst 9000 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause an egress port to become blocked and drop all outbound traffic. This vulnerability is due to improper handling of crafted Ethernet frames. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted Ethernet frames through an affected switch. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the egress port to which the crafted frame is forwarded to start dropping all frames, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition.

A vulnerability in the implementation of the TACACS+ protocol in Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to view sensitive data or bypass authentication. This vulnerability exists because the system does not properly check whether the required TACACS+ shared secret is configured. A machine-in-the-middle attacker could exploit this vulnerability by intercepting and reading unencrypted TACACS+ messages or impersonating the TACACS+ server and falsely accepting arbitrary authentication requests. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view sensitive information in a TACACS+ message or bypass authentication and gain access to the affected device.

A vulnerability in the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) subsystem of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper error handling when parsing a specific SNMP request. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specific SNMP request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the device to reload unexpectedly, resulting in a DoS condition. This vulnerability affects SNMP versions 1, 2c, and 3. To exploit this vulnerability through SNMPv2c or earlier, the attacker must know a valid read-write or read-only SNMP community string for the affected system. To exploit this vulnerability through SNMPv3, the attacker must have valid SNMP user credentials for the affected system.

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to cause an affected device to reload unexpectedly, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability is due to a buffer overflow. An attacker with a low-privileged account could exploit this vulnerability by using crafted commands at the CLI prompt. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition.

An incorrect privilege assignment vulnerability [CWE-266] in FortiOS Security Fabric version 7.6.0 through 7.6.2, 7.4.0 through 7.4.7, 7.2 all versions, 7.0 all versions, 6.4 all versions, may allow a remote authenticated attacker with high privileges to escalate their privileges to super-admin via registering the device to a malicious FortiManager.

An Integer Overflow or Wraparound vulnerability [CWE-190] in FortiOS version 7.6.2 and below, version 7.4.7 and below, version 7.2.10 and below, 7.2 all versions, 6.4 all versions, FortiProxy version 7.6.2 and below, version 7.4.3 and below, 7.2 all versions, 7.0 all versions, 2.0 all versions and FortiPAM version 1.5.0, version 1.4.2 and below, 1.3 all versions, 1.2 all versions, 1.1 all versions, 1.0 all versions SSL-VPN RDP and VNC bookmarks may allow an authenticated user to affect the device SSL-VPN availability via crafted requests.

An authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel [CWE-288] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 6.4.0 through 6.4.15, FortiOS 6.2.0 through 6.2.16, FortiOS 6.0 all versions, FortiPAM 1.2.0, FortiPAM 1.1.0 through 1.1.2, FortiPAM 1.0.0 through 1.0.3, FortiProxy 7.4.0 through 7.4.2, FortiProxy 7.2.0 through 7.2.8, FortiProxy 7.0.0 through 7.0.15, FortiSwitchManager 7.2.0 through 7.2.3, FortiSwitchManager 7.0.0 through 7.0.3 allows an unauthenticated attacker to seize control of a managed device via crafted FGFM requests, if the device is managed by a FortiManager, and if the attacker knows that FortiManager's serial number.

A double free vulnerability [CWE-415] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.4.0, FortiOS 7.2.0 through 7.2.5, FortiOS 7.0.0 through 7.0.12, FortiOS 6.4 all versions, FortiPAM 1.1 all versions, FortiPAM 1.0 all versions, FortiProxy 7.4.0 through 7.4.1, FortiProxy 7.2.0 through 7.2.7, FortiProxy 7.0.0 through 7.0.13 allows a privileged attacker to execute code or commands via crafted HTTP or HTTPs requests.

Use of Externally-Controlled Format String vulnerability in the SonicOS SSL VPN interface allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to cause service disruption.

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0 through 7.6.2, FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.7, FortiOS 7.2.4 through 7.2.12 allows an attacker to escalate its privileges via a specially crafted CLI command

An Improperly Implemented Security Check for Standard vulnerability [CWE-358] in FortiOS version 7.6.0, version 7.4.7 and below, 7.0 all versions, 6.4 all versions and FortiProxy version 7.6.1 and below, version 7.4.8 and below, 7.2 all versions, 7.0 all versions may allow a remote unauthenticated user to bypass the DNS filter via Apple devices.

A missing critical step in authentication vulnerability [CWE-304] in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, 7.4.0 through 7.4.5, 7.2.0 through 7.2.10, and before 7.0.16 & FortiProxy version 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, 7.4.0 through 7.4.8, 7.2.0 through 7.2.13 and before 7.0.20 allows an API-user using api-key + PKI user certificate authentication to login even if the certificate is invalid.

An Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability [CWE-200] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0, FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.7, FortiOS 7.2 all versions, FortiOS 7.0 all versions, FortiOS 6.4 all versions, FortiSASE 25.1.c may allow an authenticated user to access full SSL-VPN settings via crafted URL.

An Improper Certificate Validation vulnerability [CWE-295] in FortiOS version 7.6.1 and below, version 7.4.7 and below may allow an EAP verified remote user to connect from FortiClient via revoked certificate.

An Improper Privilege Management vulnerability [CWE-269] vulnerability in Fortinet FortiOS 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, FortiOS 7.4.0 through 7.4.6, FortiOS 7.2.0 through 7.2.10, FortiOS 7.0.0 through 7.0.16, FortiOS 6.4.0 through 6.4.15, FortiProxy 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, FortiProxy 7.4.0 through 7.4.7, FortiWeb 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, FortiWeb 7.4.0 through 7.4.6 allows an authenticated attacker with at least read-only admin permissions to gain super-admin privileges via crafted requests to Node.js websocket module.

An improper restriction of communication channel to intended endpoints vulnerability [CWE-923] in FortiOS 7.6.0, 7.4.0 through 7.4.5, 7.2 all versions, 7.0 all versions, 6.4 all versions may allow an unauthenticated attacker to inject unauthorized sessions via crafted FGSP session synchronization packets.

A channel accessible by non-endpoint vulnerability [CWE-300] in Fortinet FortiOS version 7.4.0 through 7.4.3, 7.2.0 through 7.2.7 and before 7.0.14 & FortiProxy version 7.4.0 through 7.4.3, 7.2.0 through 7.2.9 and before 7.0.16 allows an unauthenticated attacker with the knowledge of device specific data to spoof the identity of a downstream device of the security fabric via crafted TCP requests.

An Insufficient Session Expiration vulnerability [CWE-613] in FortiOS SSL-VPN version 7.6.0, version 7.4.6 and below, version 7.2.10 and below, 7.0 all versions, 6.4 all versions may allow an attacker in possession of a cookie used to log in the SSL-VPN portal to log in again, although the session has expired or was logged out.

A buffer over-read in Fortinet FortiOS versions 7.4.0 through 7.4.3, versions 7.2.0 through 7.2.7, and versions 7.0.0 through 7.0.14 may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to crash the FGFM daemon via a specially crafted request, under rare conditions that are outside of the attacker's control.

A integer overflow or wraparound in Fortinet FortiOS versions 7.2.0 through 7.2.7, versions 7.0.0 through 7.0.14 may allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to crash the csfd daemon via a specially crafted request.

A missing authentication for critical function in Fortinet FortiProxy versions 7.6.0 through 7.6.1, FortiSwitchManager version 7.2.5, and FortiOS versions 7.4.4 through 7.4.6 and version 7.6.0 may allow an attacker with knowledge of an existing admin account to access the device as a valid admin via an authentication bypass.

A reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the GlobalProtect™ gateway and portal features of Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS® software enables execution of malicious JavaScript in the context of an authenticated Captive Portal user's browser when they click on a specially crafted link. The primary risk is phishing attacks that can lead to credential theft—particularly if you enabled Clientless VPN. There is no availability impact to GlobalProtect features or GlobalProtect users. Attackers cannot use this vulnerability to tamper with or modify contents or configurations of the GlobalProtect portal or gateways. The integrity impact of this vulnerability is limited to enabling an attacker to create phishing and credential-stealing links that appear to be hosted on the GlobalProtect portal. For GlobalProtect users with Clientless VPN enabled, there is a limited impact on confidentiality due to inherent risks of Clientless VPN that facilitate credential theft. You can read more about this risk in the informational bulletin PAN-SA-2025-0005 https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/PAN-SA-2025-0005 https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/PAN-SA-2025-0005 . There is no impact to confidentiality for GlobalProtect users if you did not enable (or you disable) Clientless VPN.

A vulnerability in the packet filtering features of Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to bypass Layer 3 and Layer 4 traffic filters. This vulnerability is due to improper traffic filtering conditions on an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted packet to the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to bypass the Layer 3 and Layer 4 traffic filters and inject a crafted packet into the network.

A vulnerability in the Network Configuration Access Control Module (NACM) of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to obtain unauthorized read access to configuration or operational data. This vulnerability exists because a subtle change in inner API call behavior causes results to be filtered incorrectly. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using either NETCONF, RESTCONF, or gRPC Network Management Interface (gNMI) protocols and query data on paths that may have been denied by the NACM configuration. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access data that should have been restricted according to the NACM configuration. Note: This vulnerability requires that the attacker obtain the credentials from a valid user with privileges lower than 15, and that NACM was configured to provide restricted read access for that user.

A vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Wireless Controller Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of access point (AP) Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) neighbor reports when they are processed by the wireless controller. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted CDP packet to an AP. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause an unexpected reload of the wireless controller that is managing the AP, resulting in a DoS condition that affects the wireless network.

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing specific configuration commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input in specific configuration commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The security impact rating (SIR) of this advisory has been raised to High because an attacker could gain access to the underlying operating system of the affected device and perform potentially undetected actions. Note: The attacker must have privileges to enter configuration mode on the affected device. This is usually referred to as privilege level 15.

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing specific configuration commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input in specific configuration commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The security impact rating (SIR) of this advisory has been raised to High because an attacker could gain access to the underlying operating system of the affected device and perform potentially undetected actions. Note: The attacker must have privileges to enter configuration mode on the affected device. This is usually referred to as privilege level 15.

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing specific configuration commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input in specific configuration commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The security impact rating (SIR) of this advisory has been raised to High because an attacker could gain access to the underlying operating system of the affected device and perform potentially undetected actions. Note: The attacker must have privileges to enter configuration mode on the affected device. This is usually referred to as privilege level 15.

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing specific configuration commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input in specific configuration commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The security impact rating (SIR) of this advisory has been raised to High because an attacker could gain access to the underlying operating system of the affected device and perform potentially undetected actions. Note: The attacker must have privileges to enter configuration mode on the affected device. This is usually referred to as privilege level 15.

A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when processing specific configuration commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input in specific configuration commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The security impact rating (SIR) of this advisory has been raised to High because an attacker could gain access to the underlying operating system of the affected device and perform potentially undetected actions. Note: The attacker must have privileges to enter configuration mode on the affected device. This is usually referred to as privilege level 15.

A vulnerability in the Cisco IOx application hosting environment of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause the Cisco IOx application hosting environment to stop responding, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability is due to the improper handling of HTTP requests. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the Cisco IOx application hosting environment to stop responding. The IOx process will need to be manually restarted to recover services.

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to perform a CSRF attack and execute commands on the CLI of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient CSRF protections for the web-based management interface of an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading an already authenticated user to follow a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to clear the syslog, parser, and licensing logs on the affected device if the targeted user has privileges to clear those logs.

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, low-privileged, remote attacker to perform an injection attack against an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read limited files from the underlying operating system or clear the syslog and licensing logs on the affected device.

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, low-privileged, remote attacker to perform an injection attack against an affected device.r This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read files from the underlying operating system.

A vulnerability in the Internet Key Exchange version 1 (IKEv1) implementation of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition. The attacker must have valid IKEv1 VPN credentials to exploit this vulnerability. This vulnerability is due to improper validation of IKEv1 phase 2 parameters before the IPsec security association creation request is handed off to the hardware cryptographic accelerator of an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted IKEv1 messages to the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the device to reload.

A vulnerability in the lobby ambassador web interface of Cisco IOS XE Wireless Controller Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to remove arbitrary users that are defined on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient access control of actions executed by lobby ambassador users. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to an affected device with a lobby ambassador user account and sending crafted HTTP requests to the API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to delete arbitrary user accounts on the device, including users with administrative privileges. Note: This vulnerability is exploitable only if the attacker obtains the credentials for a lobby ambassador account. This account is not configured by default.

A vulnerability in the Cisco Express Forwarding functionality of Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco ASR 903 Aggregation Services Routers with Route Switch Processor 3 (RSP3C) could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to trigger a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability is due to improper memory management when Cisco IOS XE Software is processing Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted ARP messages at a high rate over a period of time to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to exhaust system resources, which eventually triggers a reload of the active route switch processor (RSP). If a redundant RSP is not present, the router reloads.

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of the Wireless LAN Controller feature of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with a lobby ambassador user account to perform a command injection attack against an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input to the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary Cisco IOS XE Software CLI commands with privilege level 15. Note: This vulnerability is exploitable only if the attacker obtains the credentials for a lobby ambassador account. This account is not configured by default.

A vulnerability in Cisco IOS Software for Cisco Catalyst 2960X, 2960XR, 2960CX, and 3560CX Series Switches could allow an authenticated, local attacker with privilege level 15 or an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to the device to execute persistent code at boot time and break the chain of trust. This vulnerability is due to missing signature verification for specific files that may be loaded during the device boot process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by placing a crafted file into a specific location on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code at boot time. 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.