CVE-2025-20188

CVE-2025-20188 is a critical (CVSS 10.0) vulnerability in the Out-of-Band AP Image Download, Clean Air Spectral Recording, and client debug bundles features of Cisco IOS XE Software for Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs), caused by a hard-coded JSON Web Token (JWT) present on affected systems (CWE-798). An unauthenticated, remote attacker can trigger it by sending crafted HTTPS requests to the AP file upload interface, leveraging the hard-coded JWT. A successful exploit lets the attacker upload arbitrary files, perform path traversal, and execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the controller. Any organization running an affected IOS XE release on a WLC is affected, with internet-reachable HTTPS management interfaces at highest risk; the source data does not enumerate specific affected version ranges. Cisco has shipped a patch, a public technical analysis/PoC exists, the flaw is not in CISA's KEV, and EPSS assigns a 27.1% probability of exploitation within 30 days (98th percentile), indicating elevated but not yet confirmed in-the-wild exploitation.

What to do: Upgrade affected WLCs to a fixed IOS XE release listed in Cisco's advisory; the provided data contains no version numbers, so rely on the advisory's fixed-release table rather than this summary. As an interim measure, restrict internet access to the controller's HTTPS management/AP file upload interface and consider disabling the affected features (notably Out-of-Band AP Image Download) where feasible. Because successful exploitation grants root-level command execution, hunt for indicators such as unexpected uploaded files or unexplained configuration changes, and monitor for potential KEV listing given the 27.1% EPSS score.