Ios XrOperating system · Cisco
CVE-2024-20398
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to obtain read/write file system access 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.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThis is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Cisco IOS XR Software's CLI where insufficient validation of user-supplied arguments in specific CLI commands allows a low-privileged authenticated user to execute crafted commands that bypass normal restrictions, providing read/write file system access and enabling elevation to root privileges.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Ios XrOperating system
= 6.5.1= 6.5.2= 6.5.3= 6.5.15= 6.5.25= 6.5.26= 6.5.28= 6.5.29= 6.5.31= 6.5.32= 6.5.33= 6.5.90CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Cisco IOS XR versionExecute 'show version' or 'admin show version' in the CLI to display the running software versionAffected if The displayed version matches any of these: 6.5.1, 6.5.2, 6.5.3, 6.5.15, 6.5.25, 6.5.26, 6.5.28, 6.5.29, 6.5.31, 6.5.32, 6.5.33, 6.5.90
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Review user accounts and privilege levelsExecute 'show running-config | include username' to list all configured usernames and their privilege assignmentsAffected if There are user accounts configured with privilege levels below root (such as operator, read-only, or custom low-privilege roles)
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Examine authentication logs for privilege escalation attemptsReview logs from 'show logging' or the system log buffer for failed command attempts, especially involving file system operations or privilege changesAffected if Logs show anomalous command patterns from non-root users attempting file read/write operations or privilege escalation commands
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Check for unexpected file system modificationsCompare current file system contents against known-good baselines or review recent change logs for modifications in system directoriesAffected if Files or directories show recent changes that were not initiated by root-level administrators
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Audit CLI command accounting recordsIf command accounting is enabled, review logs of executed CLI commands to identify low-privileged users issuing privileged or file system commandsAffected if Accounting logs show non-root users successfully executing commands typically restricted to higher privilege levels
You are affected if your Cisco IOS XR version matches any affected release (6.5.x series listed) AND low-privileged authenticated users have CLI access to the system.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scopedRestrict CLI access to only trusted, essential personnel and monitor for anomalous command patterns. Apply Cisco's vendor patches when released to address the argument validation weakness.
Cisco IOS XR 6.5.x (contact Cisco for exact fixed release - typically 6.5.16 or later in the 6.5 train)
- 1. Contact Cisco TAC or visit the Cisco Security Advisory (cisco.com/security) for CVE-2024-20398 to obtain the specific fixed release for your IOS XR 6.5.x version
- 2. Download the recommended Cisco IOS XR software release from the Cisco Software Download center
- 3. Verify the upgrade procedure for your specific hardware platform in the IOS XR configuration guide
- 4. Plan maintenance window as IOS XR upgrades typically require device reload
- 5. Before upgrade, backup current configuration using 'admin commit' or configuration archive
- 6. Perform upgrade using the appropriate method (ROMMON, ISSU, or standard install) for your platform
- 7. After upgrade, verify the device is operational and test that the vulnerability is remediated
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Ios Xr
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $10,240.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-20398 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-20398 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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