CVE-2020-3396
Cisco IOS XE Software IOx Guest Shell USB SSD Namespace Protection Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the file system on the pluggable USB 3.0 Solid State Drive (SSD) for Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, physical attacker to remove the USB 3.0 SSD and modify sensitive areas of the file system, including the namespace container protections. The vulnerability occurs because the USB 3.0 SSD control data is not stored on the internal boot flash. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by removing the USB 3.0 SSD, modifying or deleting files on the USB 3.0 SSD by using another device, and then reinserting the USB 3.0 SSD on the original device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to remove container protections and perform file actions outside the namespace of the container with root privileges.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
6.8
Cisco IOS XE Software IOx Guest Shell USB SSD Namespace Protection Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the file system on the pluggable USB 3.0 Solid State Drive (SSD) for Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, physical attacker to remove the USB 3.0 SSD and modify sensitive areas of the file system, including the namespace container protections. The vulnerability occurs because the USB 3.0 SSD control data is not stored on the internal boot flash. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by removing the USB 3.0 SSD, modifying or deleting files on the USB 3.0 SSD by using another device, and then reinserting the USB 3.0 SSD on the original device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to remove container protections and perform file actions outside the namespace of the container with root privileges.
- Record
CVE-2020-3396- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-284
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-24667
6.8
A vulnerability in the file system on the pluggable USB 3.0 Solid State Drive (SSD) for Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, physical attacker to remove the USB 3.0 SSD and modify sensitive areas of the file system, including the namespace container protections. The vulnerability occurs because the USB 3.0 SSD control data is not stored on the internal boot flash. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by removing the USB 3.0 SSD, modifying or deleting files on the USB 3.0 SSD by using another device, and then reinserting the USB 3.0 SSD on the original device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to remove container protections and perform file actions outside the namespace of the container with root privileges.
- Record
EUVD-2020-24667- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-22hc-p772-wg38
7.2
A vulnerability in the file system on the pluggable USB 3.0 Solid State Drive (SSD) for Cisco IOS...
A vulnerability in the file system on the pluggable USB 3.0 Solid State Drive (SSD) for Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, physical attacker to remove the USB 3.0 SSD and modify sensitive areas of the file system, including the namespace container protections. The vulnerability occurs because the USB 3.0 SSD control data is not stored on the internal boot flash. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by removing the USB 3.0 SSD, modifying or deleting files on the USB 3.0 SSD by using another device, and then reinserting the USB 3.0 SSD on the original device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to remove container protections and perform file actions outside the namespace of the container with root privileges.
- Record
GHSA-22hc-p772-wg38- CVSS 3.1
- 7.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-269, CWE-284
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
6.8
A vulnerability in the file system on the pluggable USB 3.0 Solid State Drive (SSD) for Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, physical attacker to remove the USB 3.0 SSD and modify sensitive areas of the file system, including the namespace container protections. The vulnerability occurs because the USB 3.0 SSD control data is not stored on the internal boot flash. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by removing the USB 3.0 SSD, modifying or deleting files on the USB 3.0 SSD by using another device, and then reinserting the USB 3.0 SSD on the original device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to remove container protections and perform file actions outside the namespace of the container with root privileges.
- Record
CVE-2020-3396- CVSS 3.1
- 6.8 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.2 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 6.9 Medium
AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-284, CWE-269
- 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-2020-3396 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.8) in Cisco Ios Xe Software, published September 24, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.32%, the 25th percentile. No source names a fixed version.