How severe is CVE-2022-20864?

CVE-2022-20864 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.6, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2022-20864 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (18th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2022-20864?

CVE-2022-20864 affects Cisco Ios Xe Rom Monitor. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2022-20864?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2022-20864 published?

CVE-2022-20864 was published on 2022-10-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2022-20864

CVE-2022-20864 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe Rom Monitor with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.6. 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-538.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.6)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (18th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-538
Affected product: Cisco Ios Xe Rom Monitor
Published: 2022-10-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the password-recovery disable feature of Cisco IOS XE ROM Monitor (ROMMON) Software for Cisco Catalyst Switches could allow an unauthenticated, local attacker to recover the configuration or reset the enable password. This vulnerability is due to a problem with the file and boot variable permissions in ROMMON. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by rebooting the switch into ROMMON and entering specific commands through the console. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read any file or reset the enable password.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2022-20864?: A vulnerability in the password-recovery disable feature of Cisco IOS XE ROM Monitor (ROMMON) Software for Cisco Catalyst Switches could allow an unauthenticated, local attacker to recover the configuration or reset the enable password. This vulnerability is due to a problem with the file and boot variable permissions in ROMMON. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by rebooting the switch into ROMMON and entering specific commands through the console. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read any file or reset the enable password.
How severe is CVE-2022-20864?: CVE-2022-20864 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.6, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2022-20864 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (18th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2022-20864?: CVE-2022-20864 affects Cisco Ios Xe Rom Monitor. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2022-20864?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2022-20864 published?: CVE-2022-20864 was published on 2022-10-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxe-info-disc-nrORXjO

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe_rom_monitor:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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