CVE-2020-3209
Cisco IOS XE Software Digital Signature Verification Bypass Vulnerability
A vulnerability in software image verification in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to an improper check on the area of code 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 install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on the targeted device.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Cisco IOS XE Software Digital Signature Verification Bypass Vulnerability
A vulnerability in software image verification in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to an improper check on the area of code 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 install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on the targeted device.
- Record
CVE-2020-3209- CVSS 3.0
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-347
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-24480
A vulnerability in software image verification in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to an improper check on the area of code 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 install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on the targeted device.
- Record
EUVD-2020-24480- CVSS 3.0
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-5m9q-364f-fv6c
A vulnerability in software image verification in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an...
A vulnerability in software image verification in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to an improper check on the area of code 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 install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on the targeted device.
- Record
GHSA-5m9q-364f-fv6c- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-347
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
A vulnerability in software image verification in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to an improper check on the area of code 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 install and boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned binaries on the targeted device.
- Record
CVE-2020-3209- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 3.0
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-347
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-3209 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.8) in Cisco Ios Xe, published June 3, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.28%, the 20th percentile. No source names a fixed version.