CVE-2026-20040

Cisco IOS XR Software CLI Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Published Mar 11, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 8.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed

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.

Affected Products

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions

Cisco

Cisco IOS XR Software

unknown

Version	Status	Constraints
`6.5.3`	affected	—
`6.5.29`	affected	—
`6.5.1`	affected	—
`6.6.1`	affected	—
`6.5.2`	affected	—
`6.5.92`	affected	—
`6.5.15`	affected	—
`6.6.2`	affected	—
`7.0.1`	affected	—
`6.6.25`	affected	—
`6.5.26`	affected	—
`6.6.11`	affected	—
`6.5.25`	affected	—
`6.5.28`	affected	—
`6.5.93`	affected	—
`6.6.12`	affected	—
`6.5.90`	affected	—
`7.1.1`	affected	—
`7.0.90`	affected	—
`6.6.3`	affected	—
`6.7.1`	affected	—
`7.0.2`	affected	—
`7.1.15`	affected	—
`7.2.1`	affected	—
`7.1.2`	affected	—
`6.7.2`	affected	—
`7.0.11`	affected	—
`7.0.12`	affected	—
`7.0.14`	affected	—
`7.1.25`	affected	—
`6.6.4`	affected	—
`7.2.12`	affected	—
`7.3.1`	affected	—
`7.1.3`	affected	—
`6.7.3`	affected	—
`7.4.1`	affected	—
`7.2.2`	affected	—
`6.7.4`	affected	—
`6.5.31`	affected	—
`7.3.15`	affected	—
`7.3.16`	affected	—
`6.8.1`	affected	—
`7.4.15`	affected	—
`6.5.32`	affected	—
`7.3.2`	affected	—
`7.5.1`	affected	—
`7.4.16`	affected	—
`7.3.27`	affected	—
`7.6.1`	affected	—
`7.5.2`	affected	—
`7.8.1`	affected	—
`7.6.15`	affected	—
`7.5.12`	affected	—
`7.8.12`	affected	—
`7.3.3`	affected	—
`7.7.1`	affected	—
`6.8.2`	affected	—
`7.3.4`	affected	—
`7.4.2`	affected	—
`6.7.35`	affected	—
`6.9.1`	affected	—
`7.6.2`	affected	—
`7.5.3`	affected	—
`7.7.2`	affected	—
`6.9.2`	affected	—
`7.9.1`	affected	—
`7.10.1`	affected	—
`7.8.2`	affected	—
`7.5.4`	affected	—
`6.5.33`	affected	—
`7.8.22`	affected	—
`7.7.21`	affected	—
`7.9.2`	affected	—
`7.3.5`	affected	—
`7.5.5`	affected	—
`7.11.1`	affected	—
`7.9.21`	affected	—
`7.10.2`	affected	—
`24.1.1`	affected	—
`7.6.3`	affected	—
`7.3.6`	affected	—
`7.5.52`	affected	—
`7.11.2`	affected	—
`24.2.1`	affected	—
`24.1.2`	affected	—
`24.2.11`	affected	—
`24.3.1`	affected	—
`24.4.1`	affected	—
`24.2.2`	affected	—
`7.8.23`	affected	—
`7.11.21`	affected	—
`24.2.20`	affected	—
`24.3.2`	affected	—
`24.4.10`	affected	—
`6.5.35`	affected	—
`25.1.1`	affected	—
`24.4.2`	affected	—
`24.3.20`	affected	—
`24.4.15`	affected	—
`25.2.1`	affected	—
`6.5.351`	affected	—
`25.1.2`	affected	—
`24.3.30`	affected	—
`25.3.1`	affected	—
`6.5.352`	affected	—
`24.4.30`	affected	—
`24.2.21`	affected	—
`25.4.1`	affected	—
`25.2.2`	affected	—
`25.2.15`	affected	—
`7.2.0`	affected	—
`7.0.0`	affected	—
`25.2.30`	affected	—
`6.5.353`	affected	—
`25.1.30`	affected	—
`25.3.15`	affected	—

Configuration 1 [-]

OR	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xr::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios_xr::::::::

No data.

Vendor Product Versions

Cisco

Ios Xr Software

Version	Status	Scheme	Platform
`6.5.3`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.29`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.1`	affected	semver	—
`6.6.1`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.2`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.92`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.15`	affected	semver	—
`6.6.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.0.1`	affected	semver	—
`6.6.25`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.26`	affected	semver	—
`6.6.11`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.25`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.28`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.93`	affected	semver	—
`6.6.12`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.90`	affected	semver	—
`7.1.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.0.90`	affected	semver	—
`6.6.3`	affected	semver	—
`6.7.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.0.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.1.15`	affected	semver	—
`7.2.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.1.2`	affected	semver	—
`6.7.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.0.11`	affected	semver	—
`7.0.12`	affected	semver	—
`7.0.14`	affected	semver	—
`7.1.25`	affected	semver	—
`6.6.4`	affected	semver	—
`7.2.12`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.1.3`	affected	semver	—
`6.7.3`	affected	semver	—
`7.4.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.2.2`	affected	semver	—
`6.7.4`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.31`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.15`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.16`	affected	semver	—
`6.8.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.4.15`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.32`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.5.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.4.16`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.27`	affected	semver	—
`7.6.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.5.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.8.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.6.15`	affected	semver	—
`7.5.12`	affected	semver	—
`7.8.12`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.3`	affected	semver	—
`7.7.1`	affected	semver	—
`6.8.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.4`	affected	semver	—
`7.4.2`	affected	semver	—
`6.7.35`	affected	semver	—
`6.9.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.6.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.5.3`	affected	semver	—
`7.7.2`	affected	semver	—
`6.9.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.9.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.10.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.8.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.5.4`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.33`	affected	semver	—
`7.8.22`	affected	semver	—
`7.7.21`	affected	semver	—
`7.9.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.5`	affected	semver	—
`7.5.5`	affected	semver	—
`7.11.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.9.21`	affected	semver	—
`7.10.2`	affected	semver	—
`24.1.1`	affected	semver	—
`7.6.3`	affected	semver	—
`7.3.6`	affected	semver	—
`7.5.52`	affected	semver	—
`7.11.2`	affected	semver	—
`24.2.1`	affected	semver	—
`24.1.2`	affected	semver	—
`24.2.11`	affected	semver	—
`24.3.1`	affected	semver	—
`24.4.1`	affected	semver	—
`24.2.2`	affected	semver	—
`7.8.23`	affected	semver	—
`7.11.21`	affected	semver	—
`24.2.20`	affected	semver	—
`24.3.2`	affected	semver	—
`24.4.10`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.35`	affected	semver	—
`25.1.1`	affected	semver	—
`24.4.2`	affected	semver	—
`24.3.20`	affected	semver	—
`24.4.15`	affected	semver	—
`25.2.1`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.351`	affected	semver	—
`25.1.2`	affected	semver	—
`24.3.30`	affected	semver	—
`25.3.1`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.352`	affected	semver	—
`24.4.30`	affected	semver	—
`24.2.21`	affected	semver	—
`25.4.1`	affected	semver	—
`25.2.2`	affected	semver	—
`25.2.15`	affected	semver	—
`7.2.0`	affected	semver	—
`7.0.0`	affected	semver	—
`25.2.30`	affected	semver	—
`6.5.353`	affected	semver	—
`25.1.30`	affected	semver	—
`25.3.15`	affected	semver	—

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

Advisories

No advisories available

Metrics

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required Low

Scope Changed

Confidentiality Impact High

Integrity Impact High

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

Exploit prediction score: < 1% (0.195% probability within 30 days)

Exploitation none

Automatable no

Technical Impact total

References

Link	Providers
https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxr-privesc-bF8D5U4W

History

Mar 12, 2026 10:15 AM First appearance in the feed. Affected vendors updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
First Time appeared		Cisco Cisco ios Xr Software
Vendors & Products		Cisco Cisco ios Xr Software

Mar 11, 2026 6:15 PM Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Metrics		ssvc `{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}`

Mar 11, 2026 5:00 PM Description updated. Title updated. Weaknesses updated. Added references. Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
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.
Title		Cisco IOS XR Software CLI Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Weaknesses		CWE-78
References		https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-iosxr-privesc-bF8D5U4W
Metrics		cvssV3_1 `{'score': 8.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H'}`