Vulnerability-Lookup

GHSA-489Q-H7V6-2626

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2025-05-07 18:30 – Updated: 2025-06-04 15:30

Details

A vulnerability in the Out-of-Band Access Point (AP) Image Download feature 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 image download interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to upload files, perform path traversal, and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges.

Note: For exploitation to be successful, the Out-of-Band AP Image Download feature must be enabled on the device. It is not enabled by default.

Severity

10.0 (Critical)


                  
                    CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2025-20188"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-798"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2025-05-07T18:15:38Z",
    "severity": "CRITICAL"
  },
  "details": "A vulnerability in the Out-of-Band Access Point (AP) Image Download feature of Cisco IOS XE Software for Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to upload arbitrary files to an affected system.\n\n 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 image download interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to upload files, perform path traversal, and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. \n\n Note: For exploitation to be successful, the Out-of-Band AP Image Download feature must be enabled on the device. It is not enabled by default.",
  "id": "GHSA-489q-h7v6-2626",
  "modified": "2025-06-04T15:30:27Z",
  "published": "2025-05-07T18:30:49Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-20188"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://horizon3.ai/attack-research/attack-blogs/cisco-ios-xe-wlc-arbitrary-file-upload-vulnerability-cve-2025-20188-analysis"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-wlc-file-uplpd-rHZG9UfC"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ]
}

CVE-2025-20188 (GCVE-0-2025-20188)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-05-07 17:34 – Updated: 2025-06-06 16:24

Summary

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.

Severity

10 (Critical)


                        
                          CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

SSVC

Exploitation: poc Automatable: yes Technical Impact: total

CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)

Decision recorded 2025-06-04 13:12 UTC

CWE

CWE-798 - Use of Hard-coded Credentials

Assigner

cisco mitre root Scorecard

References

2 references

URL	Tags
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/c…
https://horizon3.ai/attack-research/attack-blogs/…	exploit

Impacted products

1 product

Vendor	Product	Version
Cisco	Cisco IOS XE Software	Affected: 17.11.1 Affected: 17.12.1 Affected: 17.12.2 Affected: 17.12.3 Affected: 17.13.1 Affected: 17.14.1 Affected: 17.11.99SW

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JSON

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{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2025-20188",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "poc"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "yes"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "total"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2025-06-04T13:12:24.831348Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2025-06-04T13:14:28.117Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "tags": [
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            "url": "https://horizon3.ai/attack-research/attack-blogs/cisco-ios-xe-wlc-arbitrary-file-upload-vulnerability-cve-2025-20188-analysis/"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
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    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "Cisco IOS XE Software",
          "vendor": "Cisco",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "17.11.1"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "17.12.1"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "17.12.2"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "17.12.3"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "17.13.1"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "17.14.1"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "17.11.99SW"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
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          "value": "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.\r\n\r 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."
        }
      ],
      "exploits": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "The Cisco PSIRT is aware that proof-of-concept exploit code is available for the vulnerability that is described in this advisory.\r\n\r\nThe Cisco PSIRT is not aware of any malicious use of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory."
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      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "baseScore": 10,
            "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "scope": "CHANGED",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
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        "dateUpdated": "2025-06-06T16:24:05.256Z",
        "orgId": "d1c1063e-7a18-46af-9102-31f8928bc633",
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          "url": "https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-wlc-file-uplpd-rHZG9UfC"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "cisco-sa-wlc-file-uplpd-rHZG9UfC",
        "defects": [
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        ],
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      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "d1c1063e-7a18-46af-9102-31f8928bc633",
    "assignerShortName": "cisco",
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    "datePublished": "2025-05-07T17:34:36.871Z",
    "dateReserved": "2024-10-10T19:15:13.226Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2025-06-06T16:24:05.256Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.1"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
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GHSA-489Q-H7V6-2626

CVE-2025-20188 (GCVE-0-2025-20188)

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