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7.4
HIGH CVSS 3.1
CVE-2025-20141
Cisco IOS XR Route Processor Linux Stack Denial of Service Vulnerability
Description

A vulnerability in the handling of specific packets that are punted from a line card to a route processor in Cisco IOS XR Software Release 7.9.2 could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause control plane traffic to stop working on multiple Cisco IOS XR platforms.  This vulnerability is due to incorrect handling of packets that are punted to the route processor. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending traffic, which must be handled by the Linux stack on the route processor, to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause control plane traffic to stop working, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition.

INFO

Published Date :

March 12, 2025, 4:15 p.m.

Last Modified :

Aug. 6, 2025, 5:05 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

[email protected]
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2025-20141 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Cisco ios_xr
2 Cisco ncs_5501-se
3 Cisco ncs_5502-se
4 Cisco ncs_5504
5 Cisco ncs_5508
6 Cisco ncs_5516
7 Cisco ncs_5501
8 Cisco ncs_5502
9 Cisco ncs_540-12z20g-sys-a
10 Cisco ncs_540-12z20g-sys-d
11 Cisco ncs_540-24z8q2c-sys
12 Cisco ncs_540-28z4c-sys-a
13 Cisco ncs_540-28z4c-sys-d
14 Cisco ncs_540-acc-sys
15 Cisco ncs_540x-12z16g-sys-a
16 Cisco ncs_540x-12z16g-sys-d
17 Cisco ncs_540x-16z4g8q2c-a
18 Cisco ncs_540x-16z4g8q2c-d
19 Cisco ncs_540x-acc-sys
20 Cisco ncs_57b1-5dse-sys
21 Cisco ncs_57b1-6d24-sys
22 Cisco ncs_57c1-48q6-sys
23 Cisco ncs_57c3-mod-sys
24 Cisco ncs_540-24q2c2dd-sys
25 Cisco ncs_540-24q8l2dd-sys
26 Cisco ncs_540-6z14s-sys-d
27 Cisco ncs_540-6z18g-sys-a
28 Cisco ncs_540-6z18g-sys-d
29 Cisco ncs_540-fh-agg
30 Cisco ncs_540-fh-csr-sys
31 Cisco ncs_540x-16z8q2c-d
32 Cisco ncs_540x-4z14g2q-a
33 Cisco ncs_540x-4z14g2q-d
34 Cisco ncs_540x-6z18g-sys-a
35 Cisco ncs_540x-6z18g-sys-d
36 Cisco ncs_540x-8z16g-sys-a
37 Cisco ncs_540x-8z16g-sys-d
38 Cisco ncs_57d2-18dd-sys
39 Cisco ncs_55a1-24h
40 Cisco ncs_55a1-24q6h-s
41 Cisco ncs_55a1-24q6h-ss
42 Cisco ncs_55a1-36h
43 Cisco ncs_55a1-36h-se
44 Cisco ncs_55a1-48q6h
45 Cisco ncs_55a2-mod-hd-s
46 Cisco ncs_55a2-mod-s
47 Cisco ncs_55a2-mod-se-s
: Total Affected Vendor : 1 | Products : 47
CVSS Scores
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System is a standardized framework for assessing the severity of vulnerabilities in software and systems. We collect and displays CVSS scores from various sources for each CVE.
Score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Score Impact Score Source
CVSS 3.1 HIGH [email protected]
Solution
This information is provided by the 3rd party feeds.
  • Upgrade to the relevant fixed version referenced in Cisco bug ID CSCwf89955
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2025-20141.

URL Resource
https://blog.apnic.net/2024/09/02/crafting-endless-as-paths-in-bgp/ Product
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-xr792-bWfVDPY Vendor Advisory
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-20141 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2025-20141 weaknesses.

CAPEC-125: Flooding Flooding CAPEC-130: Excessive Allocation Excessive Allocation CAPEC-147: XML Ping of the Death XML Ping of the Death CAPEC-197: Exponential Data Expansion Exponential Data Expansion CAPEC-229: Serialized Data Parameter Blowup Serialized Data Parameter Blowup CAPEC-230: Serialized Data with Nested Payloads Serialized Data with Nested Payloads CAPEC-231: Oversized Serialized Data Payloads Oversized Serialized Data Payloads CAPEC-469: HTTP DoS HTTP DoS CAPEC-482: TCP Flood TCP Flood CAPEC-486: UDP Flood UDP Flood CAPEC-487: ICMP Flood ICMP Flood CAPEC-488: HTTP Flood HTTP Flood CAPEC-489: SSL Flood SSL Flood CAPEC-490: Amplification Amplification CAPEC-491: Quadratic Data Expansion Quadratic Data Expansion CAPEC-493: SOAP Array Blowup SOAP Array Blowup CAPEC-494: TCP Fragmentation TCP Fragmentation CAPEC-495: UDP Fragmentation UDP Fragmentation CAPEC-496: ICMP Fragmentation ICMP Fragmentation CAPEC-528: XML Flood XML Flood

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2025-20141 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2025-20141 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • Initial Analysis by [email protected]

    Aug. 06, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added CPE Configuration AND OR *cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xr:7.9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* OR cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_5501:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_5501-se:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_5502:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_5502-se:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_5508:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_5516:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-12z20g-sys-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-12z20g-sys-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-24z8q2c-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-28z4c-sys-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-28z4c-sys-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-acc-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-12z16g-sys-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-12z16g-sys-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-16z4g8q2c-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-16z4g8q2c-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-acc-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_5504:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-6z14s-sys-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-6z18g-sys-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-6z18g-sys-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-24q2c2dd-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-24q8l2dd-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-fh-agg:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540-fh-csr-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-4z14g2q-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-4z14g2q-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-6z18g-sys-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-6z18g-sys-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-8z16g-sys-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-8z16g-sys-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_540x-16z8q2c-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a1-24h:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a1-24q6h-s:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a1-24q6h-ss:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a1-36h:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a1-36h-se:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_57b1-5dse-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_57b1-6d24-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_57c1-48q6-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_57c3-mod-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_57d2-18dd-sys:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a1-48q6h:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a2-mod-hd-s:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a2-mod-s:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* cpe:2.3:h:cisco:ncs_55a2-mod-se-s:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    Added Reference Type Cisco Systems, Inc.: https://blog.apnic.net/2024/09/02/crafting-endless-as-paths-in-bgp/ Types: Product
    Added Reference Type Cisco Systems, Inc.: https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-xr792-bWfVDPY Types: Vendor Advisory
  • New CVE Received by [email protected]

    Mar. 12, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description A vulnerability in the handling of specific packets that are punted from a line card to a route processor in Cisco IOS XR Software Release 7.9.2 could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to cause control plane traffic to stop working on multiple Cisco IOS XR platforms.  This vulnerability is due to incorrect handling of packets that are punted to the route processor. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending traffic, which must be handled by the Linux stack on the route processor, to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause control plane traffic to stop working, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition.
    Added CVSS V3.1 AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
    Added CWE CWE-770
    Added Reference https://blog.apnic.net/2024/09/02/crafting-endless-as-paths-in-bgp/
    Added Reference https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-xr792-bWfVDPY
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
Base CVSS Score: 7.4
Attack Vector
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality Impact
Integrity Impact
Availability Impact