---
id: CVE-2025-20164
title: "A vulnerability in the Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switch Device Manager (DM) of Cisco IOS Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges.\r\n\r This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of authorizati…"
summary: "A vulnerability in the Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switch Device Manager (DM) of Cisco IOS Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges.\r\n\r This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of authorizati…"
severity: high
cvss: 8.3
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
cwe:
  - CWE-862
vendor: Cisco
product: IOS
affected:
  - IOS 15.0(2)SE8
  - IOS 15.0(2)EA
  - IOS 15.0(2)EA1
  - IOS 15.2(2)E
  - IOS 15.2(2)E1
  - IOS 15.2(3)E1
  - IOS 15.2(2)E2
  - IOS 15.2(2)E3
  - IOS 15.2(2a)E2
  - IOS 15.2(3)E2
  - IOS 15.2(3)E3
  - IOS 15.2(2)E4
  - IOS 15.2(2)E5
  - IOS 15.2(3)E4
  - IOS 15.2(5)E
  - IOS 15.2(2)E6
  - IOS 15.2(5)E1
  - IOS 15.2(2)E5a
  - IOS 15.2(5a)E1
  - IOS 15.2(2)E7
  - IOS 15.2(5)E2
  - IOS 15.2(6)E
  - IOS 15.2(5)E2c
  - IOS 15.2(2)E8
  - IOS 15.2(6)E0a
  - IOS 15.2(6)E1
  - IOS 15.2(6)E0c
  - IOS 15.2(2)E9
  - IOS 15.2(7)E
  - IOS 15.2(2)E10
  - IOS 15.2(6)E2a
  - IOS 15.2(7)E0b
  - IOS 15.2(7)E0s
  - IOS 15.2(6)E3
  - IOS 15.2(7)E2
  - IOS 15.2(7)E3
  - IOS 15.2(7)E1a
  - IOS 15.2(7)E4
  - IOS 15.2(8)E
  - IOS 15.2(8)E1
  - IOS 15.2(7)E5
  - IOS 15.2(7)E6
  - IOS 15.2(8)E2
  - IOS 15.2(7)E7
  - IOS 15.2(8)E3
  - IOS 15.2(7)E8
  - IOS 15.2(8)E4
  - IOS 15.2(7)E9
  - IOS 15.2(8)E5
  - IOS 15.2(8)E6
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2025-05-08T03:56:34.423573Z'
published: '2025-05-07'
updated: '2026-11-03'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-03T22:02:52.222Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-20164'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ios-http-privesc-wCRd5e3
    label: cisco-sa-ios-http-privesc-wCRd5e3
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00342
epssPercentile: 0.27817
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T20:33:06.533Z'
---

## Overview

A vulnerability in the Cisco Industrial Ethernet Switch Device Manager (DM) of Cisco IOS Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges.

 This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of authorizations for authenticated users. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to privilege level 15.

 To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with privilege level 5 or higher. Read-only DM users are assigned privilege level 5.

## Affected

- `IOS 15.0(2)SE8`
- `IOS 15.0(2)EA`
- `IOS 15.0(2)EA1`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E1`
- `IOS 15.2(3)E1`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E2`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E3`
- `IOS 15.2(2a)E2`
- `IOS 15.2(3)E2`
- `IOS 15.2(3)E3`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E4`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E5`
- `IOS 15.2(3)E4`
- `IOS 15.2(5)E`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E6`
- `IOS 15.2(5)E1`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E5a`
- `IOS 15.2(5a)E1`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E7`
- `IOS 15.2(5)E2`
- `IOS 15.2(6)E`
- `IOS 15.2(5)E2c`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E8`
- `IOS 15.2(6)E0a`
- `IOS 15.2(6)E1`
- `IOS 15.2(6)E0c`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E9`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E`
- `IOS 15.2(2)E10`
- `IOS 15.2(6)E2a`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E0b`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E0s`
- `IOS 15.2(6)E3`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E2`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E3`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E1a`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E4`
- `IOS 15.2(8)E`
- `IOS 15.2(8)E1`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E5`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E6`
- `IOS 15.2(8)E2`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E7`
- `IOS 15.2(8)E3`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E8`
- `IOS 15.2(8)E4`
- `IOS 15.2(7)E9`
- `IOS 15.2(8)E5`
- `IOS 15.2(8)E6`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.