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CVE-2022-20944

Cisco IOS XE Software for Catalyst 9200 Series Switches Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability

Medium6.1EPSS 0.22%
Published
Updated
Reserved
Assigned by
cisco

Description

A vulnerability in the software image verification functionality of Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to execute unsigned code at system boot time. This vulnerability is due to an improper check in the code function that manages the verification of the digital signatures of system image files during the initial boot process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by loading unsigned software on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned code and bypass the image verification check part of the boot process of the affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker needs either unauthenticated physical access to the device or privileged access to the root shell on the device. Note: In Cisco IOS XE Software releases 16.11.1 and later, root shell access is protected by the Consent Token mechanism. However, an attacker with level-15 privileges could easily downgrade the Cisco IOS XE Software running on a device to a release where root shell access is more readily available.

Scores

CVSS scores of CVE-2022-20944, by who scored it
Scored byCVSSScoreVector
ciscoCNA (assigner)3.1Medium6.1CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
NVDNVD · Modified3.1Medium6.8CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
0.22% · top 87% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
CISA SSVC
Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: total
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The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 6.1.

Weakness

Affected products

What to do

Exploitation: The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory.

References (1)

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

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Record last updated .