Is CVE-2025-20160 being actively exploited?

CVE-2025-20160 is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2025-20160?

CVE-2025-20160 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH).

CVE-2025-20160

HIGH · CVSS 8.1EPSS 0.4%EU EUVD

A vulnerability in the implementation of the TACACS+ protocol in Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to view sensitive data or bypass authentication. This vulnerability exists because the system does not properly check whether the required TACACS+ shared secret is configured. A machine-in-the-middle attacker could exploit this vulnerability by intercepting and reading unencrypted TACACS+ messages or impersonating the TACACS+ server and falsely accepting arbitrary authentication requests. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view sensitive information in a TACACS+ message or bypass authentication and gain access to the affected device.

Key facts

CVSS score: 8.1 (v3.1)
Severity: HIGH
CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness (CWE): CWE-287
EPSS score: 0.4% (36th percentile)
In CISA KEV: No
In EU EUVD: Yes (EUVD-2025-31035)
Published: September 24, 2025
NVD last modified: September 26, 2026
Status: Analyzed

EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD)

This vulnerability is also tracked by ENISA as EUVD-2025-31035 in the EU Vulnerability Database. Last updated in EUVD on February 26, 2026.

View on the EU Vulnerability Database

Affected products

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and 309 more…

Certified products that may be affected

12 FIPS 140 or Common Criteria certified products, from automated matching by sec-certs.org.

Cisco Embedded Services 9300 and 3300 Series Switches (ESS9300 & ESS3300) running IOS-XE 17.15 - Cisco Systems, Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11662-2026 - active
Cisco Catalyst 8000V Edge (C8000V) running IOS-XE 17.15 - Cisco Systems, Inc. - Common Criteria Certificate Number: 2025/161 - active
Cisco 1000 Series Integrated Services Routers (C1100), Cisco Catalyst IR1800 Rugged Series Routers (IR1800), Cisco Catalyst IR8300 Rugged Series Routers (IR8300) running IOS-XE 17.15 - Cisco Systems, Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11643-2025 - active
Cisco Catalyst Industrial Ethernet 9300 Rugged Series Switches running IOS-XE 17.15 - Cisco Systems, Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11603-2025 - active
Cisco Aggregation Services Router 1000 Series (ASR1K), Cisco Catalyst 8200, 8300, 8500 Series Edge Routers (Cat8K) running IOS-XE version 17.15 - Cisco Systems, Inc. - Common Criteria CCEVS-VR-VID-11642-2025 - active

See all 12 in the Security Certifications Explorer.

References

https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ios-tacacs-hdB7thJw(Vendor Advisory)

Last updated September 27, 2026 · Source: NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS

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