Cisco IOS XR Software CLI Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-20040 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | cisco |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-03-11 17:16:54 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-07-01 16:24:49 UTC |
| Description | A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user arguments that are passed to specific CLI commands. An attacker with a low-privileged account could exploit this vulnerability by using crafted commands at the prompt. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to root and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 8.8 HIGH from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Problem Types: CWE-78 | CWE-78 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Secondary | 8.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | CVSSV3_1 | 8.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
LocalAttack Complexity
LowPrivileges Required
LowUser Interaction
NoneScope
ChangedConfidentiality
HighIntegrity
HighAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.29 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.6.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.92 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.15 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.6.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.0.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.6.25 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.26 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.6.11 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.25 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.28 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.93 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.6.12 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.90 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.1.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.0.90 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.6.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.7.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.0.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.1.15 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.2.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.1.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.7.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.0.11 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.0.12 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.0.14 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.1.25 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.6.4 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.2.12 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.1.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.7.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.4.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.2.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.7.4 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.31 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.15 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.16 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.8.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.4.15 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.32 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.5.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.4.16 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.27 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.6.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.5.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.8.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.6.15 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.5.12 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.8.12 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.7.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.8.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.4 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.4.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.7.35 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.9.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.6.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.5.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.7.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.9.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.9.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.10.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.8.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.5.4 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.33 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.8.22 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.7.21 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.9.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.5 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.5.5 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.11.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.9.21 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.10.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.1.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.6.3 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.3.6 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.5.52 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.11.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.2.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.1.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.2.11 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.3.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.4.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.2.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.8.23 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.11.21 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.2.20 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.3.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.4.10 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.35 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.1.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.4.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.3.20 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.4.15 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.2.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.351 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.1.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.3.30 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.3.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.352 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.4.30 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 24.2.21 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.4.1 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.2.2 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.2.15 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.2.0 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 7.0.0 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.2.30 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 6.5.353 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.1.30 | Not specified |
| CNA | Cisco | Cisco IOS XR Software | affected 25.3.15 | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxr-... | [email protected] | sec.cloudapps.cisco.com | Vendor Advisory |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
Additional Advisory Data
Exploits
CNA: The Cisco PSIRT is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerabilities that are described in this advisory.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.