How severe is CVE-2020-3465?

CVE-2020-3465 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, 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 none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2020-3465 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (47th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-3465?

CVE-2020-3465 primarily affects Cisco Ios Xe. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-3465?

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-2020-3465 published?

CVE-2020-3465 was published on 2020-09-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-3465

CVE-2020-3465 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4. 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

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.4)
CVSS v2: 6.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (47th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Cisco Ios Xe
Published: 2020-09-24
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a device to reload. The vulnerability is due to incorrect handling of certain valid, but not typical, Ethernet frames. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending the Ethernet frames onto the Ethernet segment. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the device to reload, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-3465?: A vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a device to reload. The vulnerability is due to incorrect handling of certain valid, but not typical, Ethernet frames. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending the Ethernet frames onto the Ethernet segment. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the device to reload, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition.
How severe is CVE-2020-3465?: CVE-2020-3465 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.4, 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 none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2020-3465 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (47th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-3465?: CVE-2020-3465 primarily affects Cisco Ios Xe. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-3465?: 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-2020-3465 published?: CVE-2020-3465 was published on 2020-09-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-le-drTOB625

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:16.6.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:17.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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