How severe is CVE-2025-20188?

CVE-2025-20188 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2025-20188 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 18% (97th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-20188?

CVE-2025-20188 primarily affects Cisco Ios Xe. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2025-20188?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

Does CVE-2025-20188 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2025-20188 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-13907.

When was CVE-2025-20188 published?

CVE-2025-20188 was published on 2025-05-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2025-20188

CVE-2025-20188 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe with a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 18% places it in the 97th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-798.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 10.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 18% (97th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2025-13907
Weakness: CWE-798
Affected product: Cisco Ios Xe
Published: 2025-05-07
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the Out-of-Band Access Point (AP) Image Download, the Clean Air Spectral Recording, and the client debug bundles features of Cisco IOS XE Software for Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to upload arbitrary files to an affected system. This vulnerability is due to the presence of a hard-coded JSON Web Token (JWT) on an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTPS requests to the AP file upload interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to upload files, perform path traversal, and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-20188?: A vulnerability in the Out-of-Band Access Point (AP) Image Download, the Clean Air Spectral Recording, and the client debug bundles features of Cisco IOS XE Software for Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to upload arbitrary files to an affected system. This vulnerability is due to the presence of a hard-coded JSON Web Token (JWT) on an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTPS requests to the AP file upload interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to upload files, perform path traversal, and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges.
How severe is CVE-2025-20188?: CVE-2025-20188 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2025-20188 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 18% (97th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-20188?: CVE-2025-20188 primarily affects Cisco Ios Xe. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-20188?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2025-20188 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2025-20188 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-13907.
When was CVE-2025-20188 published?: CVE-2025-20188 was published on 2025-05-07 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:17.11.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:17.11.99sw:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:17.12.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:17.12.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:17.12.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:17.13.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe:17.14.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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