{"id":38195,"date":"2025-05-14T17:51:04","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T17:51:04","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-01T22:12:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T04:12:07","slug":"cve-2025-20186-command-injection-vulnerability-in-cisco-ios-xe-software-s-wireless-lan-controller-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2025-20186-command-injection-vulnerability-in-cisco-ios-xe-software-s-wireless-lan-controller-feature\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2025-20186: Command Injection Vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software’s Wireless LAN Controller Feature<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

The vulnerability under discussion, CVE-2025-20186, is a critical flaw found in the web-based management interface of Cisco’s IOS XE Software, particularly within the Wireless LAN Controller feature. This vulnerability has far-reaching consequences as it allows an authenticated, remote attacker with specific user access to carry out a command injection attack on affected devices, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. It’s a significant issue due to Cisco’s widespread usage in businesses and enterprises worldwide, whose data security<\/a> could be at risk if they utilize the affected software.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2025-20186
\nSeverity: Critical (8.8)
\nAttack Vector: Web-based management interface<\/a>
\nPrivileges Required: Lobby ambassador user account<\/a>
\nUser Interaction: None
\nImpact: Possible system compromise<\/a>, data leakage<\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

Cisco IOS XE Software<\/a> | All versions prior to the patched version<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The vulnerability is a result of insufficient input validation in the web-based management interface of Cisco’s IOS XE Software’s Wireless LAN Controller<\/a> feature. An attacker, having access to a lobby ambassador user account, can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted input<\/a> to this interface. If the exploit is successful, the attacker can execute arbitrary<\/a> Cisco IOS XE Software CLI commands with the highest privilege level, 15, typically reserved for system administrators.<\/p>\n

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is a conceptual example of how an attacker might craft a payload to exploit this vulnerability:<\/a><\/p>\n

POST \/web-management-interface HTTP\/1.1\nHost: target.example.com\nContent-Type: application\/json\nAuthorization: Bearer \n{ \"command\": \";  ;\" }<\/code><\/pre>\n
In this example, if the `command` parameter is not properly sanitized, the arbitrary CLI command will be executed<\/a> with the highest system privileges.<\/p>\n
Recommended Mitigation<\/strong><\/p>\n
To mitigate this vulnerability<\/a>, organizations should apply the vendor-provided patch as soon as possible. In the interim, organizations can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability<\/a>. Additionally, organizations should consider disabling or restricting access to the lobby ambassador user account, as it is not configured by default and its possession is necessary for the vulnerability<\/a> to be exploitable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overview The vulnerability under discussion, CVE-2025-20186, is a critical flaw found in the web-based management interface of Cisco’s IOS XE Software, particularly within the Wireless LAN Controller feature. This vulnerability has far-reaching consequences as it allows an authenticated, remote attacker with specific user access to carry out a command injection attack on affected devices, potentially […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"vendor":[77,96],"product":[97],"attack_vector":[78],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-38195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","vendor-apple","vendor-cisco","product-cisco-ios-xe","attack_vector-injection"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t