CVE-2020-3217

CVE-2020-3217 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Description

A vulnerability in the Topology Discovery Service of Cisco One Platform Kit (onePK) in Cisco IOS Software, Cisco IOS XE Software, Cisco IOS XR Software, and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient length restrictions when the onePK Topology Discovery Service parses Cisco Discovery Protocol messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious Cisco Discovery Protocol message to an affected device. An exploit could allow the attacker to cause a stack overflow, which could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with administrative privileges, or to cause a process crash, which could result in a reload of the device and cause a DoS condition.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-3217?
A vulnerability in the Topology Discovery Service of Cisco One Platform Kit (onePK) in Cisco IOS Software, Cisco IOS XE Software, Cisco IOS XR Software, and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient length restrictions when the onePK Topology Discovery Service parses Cisco Discovery Protocol messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious Cisco Discovery Protocol message to an affected device. An exploit could allow the attacker to cause a stack overflow, which could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with administrative privileges, or to cause a process crash, which could result in a reload of the device and cause a DoS condition.
How severe is CVE-2020-3217?
CVE-2020-3217 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over an adjacent network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-3217 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (59th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-3217?
CVE-2020-3217 primarily affects Cisco Ios. In total, 629 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-3217?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2020-3217 published?
CVE-2020-3217 was published on 2020-06-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (629)

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