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CVE-2025-20160

8.1 · HIGH

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 authen…

Published Sep 24, 2025CWE-287EPSS 0.43%

Overview

CVE-2025-20160 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on September 24, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical 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.

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

Refsec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ios-tacacs-hdB7thJw

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-20160?

CVE-2025-20160 is a high-severity vulnerability. It was published on September 24, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2025-20160?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2025-20160?

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-2025-20160?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2025-20160 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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