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CVE-2020-3284

9.8 · CRITICAL

A vulnerability in the enhanced Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) boot loader for Cisco IOS XR 64-bit Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute unsigned code during the…

Published Nov 6, 2020CWE-284EPSS 2.89%

Overview

CVE-2020-3284 is a critical-severity vulnerability. It was published on November 6, 2020 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical description

A vulnerability in the enhanced Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) boot loader for Cisco IOS XR 64-bit Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute unsigned code during the PXE boot process on an affected device. The PXE boot loader is part of the BIOS and runs over the management interface of hardware platforms that are running Cisco IOS XR Software only. The vulnerability exists because internal commands that are issued when the PXE network boot process is loading a software image are not properly verified. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by compromising the PXE boot server and replacing a valid software image with a malicious one. Alternatively, the attacker could impersonate the PXE boot server and send a PXE boot reply with a malicious file. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute unsigned code on the affected device. Note: To fix this vulnerability, both the Cisco IOS XR Software and the BIOS must be upgraded. The BIOS code is

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

References

Reftools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxr-pxe-unsign-code-exec-qAa78fD2Reftools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxr-pxe-unsign-code-exec-qAa78fD2

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2020-3284?

CVE-2020-3284 is a critical-severity vulnerability. It was published on November 6, 2020 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

How severe is CVE-2020-3284?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2020-3284?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2020-3284?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2020-3284 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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