Summary

• A vulnerability in the HTTP API subsystem of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow a remote attacker to inject commands that will execute with root privileges into the underlying operating system.

  This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation. An attacker with administrative privileges could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to an affected system and performing an API call with crafted input. Alternatively, an unauthenticated attacker could persuade a legitimate user with administrative privileges who is currently logged in to the system to click a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands as the root user.

  Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

  This advisory is available at the following link:
  https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ios-xe-cmd-inject-rPJM8BGL

  This advisory is part of the September 2025 release of the Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Security Advisory Bundled Publication. For a complete list of the advisories and links to them, see Cisco Event Response: September 2025 Semiannual Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software Security Advisory Bundled Publication.

Affected Products

• Vulnerable Products

  This vulnerability affects Cisco devices if they are running a vulnerable release of Cisco IOS XE Software and have the HTTP Server feature enabled.

  For information about which Cisco software releases are vulnerable, see the Fixed Software section of this advisory.

  Determine the HTTP Server Configuration

  To determine whether the HTTP Server feature is enabled for a device, log in to the device and use the show running-config | include ip http server|secure|active command in the CLI to check for the presence of the ip http server command or the ip http secure-server command in the global configuration. If either command is present, the HTTP Server feature is enabled for the device.

  The following example shows the output of the show running-config | include ip http server|secure|active command for a device that has the HTTP Server feature enabled:

  Router# show running-config | include ip http server|secure|active
  ip http server
  ip http secure-server

  If the ip http server command is present and the configuration also contains ip http active-session-modules none, the vulnerability is not exploitable over HTTP.

  If the ip http secure-server command is present and the configuration also contains ip http secure-active-session-modules none, the vulnerability is not exploitable over HTTPS.

  Products Confirmed Not Vulnerable

  Only products listed in the Vulnerable Products section of this advisory are known to be affected by this vulnerability.

  Cisco has confirmed that this vulnerability does not affect the following Cisco products:

  • IOS Software
  • IOS XR Software
  • NX-OS Software

Workarounds

• There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Fixed Software

• Cisco considers any workarounds and mitigations to be temporary solutions until an upgrade to a fixed software release is available. To fully remediate this vulnerability and avoid future exposure as described in this advisory, Cisco strongly recommends that customers upgrade to the fixed software indicated in this advisory.

  Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software

  To help customers determine their exposure to vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software, Cisco provides the Cisco Software Checker. This tool identifies any Cisco security advisories that impact a specific software release and the earliest release that fixes the vulnerabilities that are described in each advisory (“First Fixed”). If applicable, the tool also returns the earliest release that fixes all the vulnerabilities that are described in all the advisories that the Software Checker identifies (“Combined First Fixed”). 

  To use the tool, go to the Cisco Software Checker page and follow the instructions. Alternatively, use the following form to determine whether a release is affected by any Cisco Security Advisory. To use the form, follow these steps:

  1. Choose which advisories the tool will search—only this advisory, only advisories with a Critical or High Security Impact Rating (SIR), or all advisories.
  2. Enter a release number—for example, 15.9(3)M2 or 17.3.3.
  3. Click Check.

   

  Only this advisory All Critical and High advisories All advisories

   

Exploitation and Public Announcements

• The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory.

Source

• This vulnerability was found by Matthew Street of Cisco during internal security testing.

URL

• https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ios-xe-cmd-inject-rPJM8BGL

Revision History

• Version	Description	Section	Status	Date
  1.0	Initial public release.	—	Final	2025-SEP-24

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