How severe is CVE-2020-3511?

CVE-2020-3511 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-2020-3511 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2020-3511?

CVE-2020-3511 affects Cisco Ios Xe. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2020-3511?

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-2020-3511 published?

CVE-2020-3511 was published on 2020-09-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2020-3511

CVE-2020-3511 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: 0% (35th 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 the ISDN subsystem of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a reload of an affected device, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when the ISDN Q.931 messages are processed. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious ISDN Q.931 message to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the process to crash, resulting in a reload of the affected device.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-3511?: A vulnerability in the ISDN subsystem of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause a reload of an affected device, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation when the ISDN Q.931 messages are processed. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious ISDN Q.931 message to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the process to crash, resulting in a reload of the affected device.
How severe is CVE-2020-3511?: CVE-2020-3511 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-2020-3511 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (35th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2020-3511?: CVE-2020-3511 affects Cisco Ios Xe. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2020-3511?: 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-2020-3511 published?: CVE-2020-3511 was published on 2020-09-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe-isdn-q931-dos-67eUZBTf

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:15.1\(4\)m:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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