How severe is CVE-2025-20160?

CVE-2025-20160 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2025-20160 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-2025-20160?

CVE-2025-20160 primarily affects Cisco Ios. In total, 359 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2025-20160?

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.

Does CVE-2025-20160 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2025-20160 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-31035.

When was CVE-2025-20160 published?

CVE-2025-20160 was published on 2025-09-24 and last updated on 2026-09-26.

CVE-2025-20160

CVE-2025-20160 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. 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-287.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.1)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (35th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2025-31035
Weakness: CWE-287
Affected product: Cisco Ios
Published: 2025-09-24
Last modified: 2026-09-26

Description

A vulnerability in the implementation of the TACACS+ protocol in Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to view sensitive data or bypass authentication. This vulnerability exists because the system does not properly check whether the required TACACS+ shared secret is configured. A machine-in-the-middle attacker could exploit this vulnerability by intercepting and reading unencrypted TACACS+ messages or impersonating the TACACS+ server and falsely accepting arbitrary authentication requests. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view sensitive information in a TACACS+ message or bypass authentication and gain access to the affected device.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-20160?: A vulnerability in the implementation of the TACACS+ protocol in Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to view sensitive data or bypass authentication. This vulnerability exists because the system does not properly check whether the required TACACS+ shared secret is configured. A machine-in-the-middle attacker could exploit this vulnerability by intercepting and reading unencrypted TACACS+ messages or impersonating the TACACS+ server and falsely accepting arbitrary authentication requests. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view sensitive information in a TACACS+ message or bypass authentication and gain access to the affected device.
How severe is CVE-2025-20160?: CVE-2025-20160 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2025-20160 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-2025-20160?: CVE-2025-20160 primarily affects Cisco Ios. In total, 359 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-20160?: 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.
Does CVE-2025-20160 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2025-20160 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-31035.
When was CVE-2025-20160 published?: CVE-2025-20160 was published on 2025-09-24 and last updated on 2026-09-26.

References

https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ios-tacacs-hdB7thJw

Affected products (359)

cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(4\)e6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(4\)e7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(4\)e8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(4\)e9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(4\)e10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(4\)e10a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(4\)e10d:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(6\)e1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(6\)e2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(6\)e2a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(6\)e2b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(6\)e3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(6\)eb:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e0a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e0b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e0s:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e1a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e2a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e3k:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7\)e12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7a\)e0b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(7b\)e0b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(8\)e:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(8\)e1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(8\)e2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(8\)e3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(8\)e4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:15.2\(8\)e5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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