Headline
CVE-2022-20864: Cisco Security Advisory: Cisco IOS XE ROM Monitor Software for Catalyst Switches Information Disclosure Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the password-recovery disable feature of Cisco IOS XE ROM Monitor (ROMMON) Software for Cisco Catalyst Switches could allow an unauthenticated, local attacker to recover the configuration or reset the enable password. This vulnerability is due to a problem with the file and boot variable permissions in ROMMON. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by rebooting the switch into ROMMON and entering specific commands through the console. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read any file or reset the enable password.
When considering software upgrades, customers are advised to regularly consult the advisories for Cisco products, which are available from the Cisco Security Advisories page, to determine exposure and a complete upgrade solution.
In all cases, customers should ensure that the devices to be upgraded contain sufficient memory and confirm that current hardware and software configurations will continue to be supported properly by the new release. If the information is not clear, customers are advised to contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) or their contracted maintenance providers.
Fixed Releases
At the time of publication, the release information in the following table(s) was accurate. See the Details section in the bug ID(s) at the top of this advisory for the most complete and current information.
Cisco Device
First Fixed Cisco IOS XE ROMMON Software Release
First Fixed Cisco IOS XE Software Release
Catalyst 3600 Series Switches
5.08
16.12.7
Catalyst 3800 Series Switches
5.08
16.12.7
Catalyst 9200 Series Switches
17.8.1r
17.6.3 and 17.8.1
Catalyst 9300 Series Switches
17.8.1r
17.8.1
Catalyst 9400 Series Switches
17.8.1r
17.8.1
Catalyst 9500 Series Switches
17.8.1r
17.8.1
Catalyst 9600 Series Switches
17.8.1r
17.8.1
ROMMON software is a bootstrap program that initializes the hardware and boots Cisco IOS XE Software when a device is powered on or reloaded. ROMMON software is bundled with the Cisco IOS XE binary, which can be downloaded from the Software Center on Cisco.com. It is not available as a standalone binary.
Customers who want to upgrade ROMMON to a fixed release will need to upgrade the Cisco IOS XE Software to a fixed release. On first boot, Cisco IOS XE Software will check the installed ROMMON release and upgrade it to the included release if the device is running an older release. A second reboot will be required to activate the upgraded ROMMON.
The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) validates only the affected and fixed release information that is documented in this advisory.