Overview
The vulnerability CVE-2025-20192 is a significant flaw in the Internet Key Exchange version 1 (IKEv1) implementation of Cisco IOS XE Software. The vulnerability could potentially allow an authenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition. This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects multiple versions of Cisco IOS XE Software, a widely-used networking software, and could lead to system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-20192
Severity: High – 7.7 CVSS Score
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: High (Valid IKEv1 VPN credentials are required)
User Interaction: None
Impact: A successful exploit could lead to a DoS condition, potential system compromise, or data leakage.
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Cisco IOS XE Software | All versions prior to the patched release
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability exists due to the 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.
Conceptual Example Code
As a conceptual example, an attacker might send a malicious payload within an IKEv1 message like this:
POST /IKEv1/message HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
{ "IKEv1_payload": "malicious_crafted_parameters" }This payload, containing improper phase 2 parameters, could then cause the device to reload, potentially causing a denial of service, system compromise, or data leakage.
