Overview
In the continuous battle for ensuring digital security, a recent vulnerability, dubbed as CVE-2025-20182, has been discovered in the Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol processing of various Cisco software including Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software, Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software, Cisco IOS Software, and Cisco IOS XE Software. This vulnerability could potentially allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device.
This vulnerability is particularly concerning because of the vast number of organizations that rely on Cisco’s suite of software to secure their network infrastructures. A successful exploit could disrupt critical services, potentially leading to significant business and financial impacts.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-20182
Severity: Critical (8.6 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) Software | All versions prior to vendor patch
Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) Software | All versions prior to vendor patch
Cisco IOS Software | All versions prior to vendor patch
Cisco IOS XE Software | All versions prior to vendor patch
How the Exploit Works
This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation when processing IKEv2 messages. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted IKEv2 traffic to an affected device. A successful exploit could cause the device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition on the targeted device.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited using pseudocode:
def exploit(target_ip):
malicious_ikev2_packet = create_malicious_ikev2_packet()
send_packet(target_ip, malicious_ikev2_packet)
def create_malicious_ikev2_packet():
# Craft a malformed IKEv2 message here
return malicious_ikev2_packetThis pseudocode demonstrates the basic principle of how an attacker might craft a malicious IKEv2 packet and send it to the targeted device, causing it to reload and subsequently leading to a DoS condition.
Please note that this is a conceptual example and is not intended to be used for malicious purposes. Always follow ethical guidelines when dealing with cybersecurity matters.