Cisco IOS XE ROM Monitor Software Vulnerability
Priority LOW 32CWE-284Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Physical
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-284.
Summary
A vulnerability in the Cisco IOS XE ROM Monitor (ROMMON) Software for Cisco 4000 Series Integrated Services Routers, Cisco ASR 920 Series Aggregation Services Routers, Cisco ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers, and Cisco cBR-8 Converged Broadband Routers could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to break the chain of trust and load a compromised software image on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to the presence of a debugging configuration option in the affected software. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by connecting to an affected device through the console, forcing the device into ROMMON mode, and writing a malicious pattern using that specific option on the device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to break the chain of trust and load a compromised software image on the affected device. A compromised software image is any software image that has not been digitally signed by Cisco.
Why it matters now
Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00285 21st percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco | Cisco IOS XE ROMMON Software | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- Cisco IOS XE ROMMON Software VendorCisco Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 28
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe_rom_monitor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 16.2\(1r\) | Vulnerable | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:4221_integrated_services_router:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:4331_integrated_services_router:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:4431_integrated_services_router:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:4461_integrated_services_router:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe_rom_monitor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 15.6\(18r\) | Vulnerable | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-10sz-pd:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-12cz-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-12cz-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-12sz-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
- cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe_rom_monitor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 16.2\(1r\) Vulnerable ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:4221_integrated_services_router:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:4331_integrated_services_router:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:4431_integrated_services_router:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:4461_integrated_services_router:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe_rom_monitor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 15.6\(18r\) Vulnerable ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-10sz-pd:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-12cz-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-12cz-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-12sz-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
Show 18 more CPE
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-12sz-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-20sz-m:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-24sz-im:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-24sz-m:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-24tz-m:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-4sz-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-4sz-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_920u-12sz-im:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1000-x:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1001:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1001-x:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1002:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1002-x:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1004:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1006:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1013:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe_rom_monitor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 16.4\(1r\)s | Vulnerable | Cisco |
| cpe:2.3:h:cisco:cbr8:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Cisco |
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-12sz-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-20sz-m:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-24sz-im:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-24sz-m:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-24tz-m:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-4sz-a:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr-920-4sz-d:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_920u-12sz-im:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1000-x:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1001:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1001-x:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1002:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1002-x:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1004:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1006:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:asr_1013:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xe_rom_monitor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 16.4\(1r\)s Vulnerable ·Cisco
- cpe:2.3:h:cisco:cbr8:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Cisco
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-3524
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-wvf6-cqwc-cf6x
References
More Cisco Ios Xe Rom Monitor vulnerabilities
- TI-2021-01179 Cisco IOS XE ROM Monitor Software for Cisco Industrial Switches OS Command Injection Vulnerability CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.8
- TI-2022-05423 Cisco IOS XE ROM Monitor Software for Catalyst Switches Information Disclosure Vulnerability CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 4.6
Sources
- CVE-2020-3524 · CVE Program
- CVE-2020-3524 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-wvf6-cqwc-cf6x · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences