---
title: "CVE-2020-3118: Cisco IOS XR Software Cisco Discovery… | CubePath"
description: "A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol implementation for Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute…"
language: en
source: https://cubepath.com/security/cve/CVE-2020-3118
---

# CVE-2020-3118: Cisco IOS XR Software Cisco Discovery… | CubePath

## Description

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol implementation for Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a reload on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper validation of string input from certain fields in Cisco Discovery Protocol messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious Cisco Discovery Protocol packet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a stack overflow, which could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with administrative privileges on an affected device. Cisco Discovery Protocol is a Layer 2 protocol. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must be in the same broadcast domain as the affected device (Layer 2 adjacent).

Official description from the CVE record, published by cisco. Copyright © 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. See [/security/cve/legal](https://cubepath.com/security/cve/legal) for the CVE license. [View the record on cve.org](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-3118)

## Key data

### CVSS 3.0 High 8.8

Score published by cisco in the CVE record.

CVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

| Metric                 | Value     | What it means                                                                         |
| ---------------------- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Attack vector          | Adjacent  | The attacker needs to be on the same shared network segment or a closely related one. |
| Attack complexity      | Low       | No special conditions are needed. The attack can be repeated at will.                 |
| Privileges required    | None      | No account or privileges are needed.                                                  |
| User interaction       | None      | No action from any user is needed.                                                    |
| Scope                  | Unchanged | The impact stays within the vulnerable component.                                     |
| Confidentiality impact | High      | Serious or total effect on the secrecy of data.                                       |
| Integrity impact       | High      | Serious or total effect on the trustworthiness of data.                               |
| Availability impact    | High      | Serious or total effect on availability.                                              |

CVSS is owned and managed by FIRST.Org, Inc. (FIRST) and is used by permission. Each CVSS score on this site is shown together with its vector string, as published in the CVE record by the source named next to it. Learn more at [first.org/cvss](https://www.first.org/cvss/) .

### EPSS

Exploit Prediction Scoring System by FIRST: an estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days.

Score

0.11685 (11.7% probability)

Percentile

96.1%

Scores of

Nov 10, 2026

Model

v2026.06.15

### CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

This CVE is listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

Name in the catalog

Cisco IOS XR Software Discovery Protocol Format String Vulnerability

Added to the catalog

Nov 3, 2021

Federal due date

May 3, 2022

### CISA assessment as of Nov 8, 2024

Stakeholder-Specific Vulnerability Categorization (SSVC) decision points added by CISA.

Exploitation

Recorded by CISA as active

Automatable

no

Technical impact

total

### Weakness (CWE)

CWE catalog version 5.0.

CWE names: Copyright © 2006-2026, The MITRE Corporation. See [/security/cve/legal](https://cubepath.com/security/cve/legal) for the CWE license.

- [CWE-134](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/134.html) Use of Externally-Controlled Format String

## Affected products

Products listed in the CVE record, as the CNA published them.

- Cisco IOS XR Software

  - affected: unspecified up to before 6.6.3

## References

Links listed in the CVE record. They lead to other sites, which CubePath does not control.

- [20200205 Cisco IOS XR Software Cisco Discovery Protocol Format String Vulnerability](https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20200205-iosxr-cdp-rce)  (tools.cisco.com) vendor-advisory
- [packetstormsecurity.com/files/156203/Cisco-Discovery-Protoc…](http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156203/Cisco-Discovery-Protocol-CDP-Remote-Device-Takeover.html)

## Timeline

1. ID reserved Dec 12, 2019
2. Record published Feb 5, 2020
3. Added to CISA KEV Nov 3, 2021
4. Record last updated Oct 21, 2025

## Look up another CVE

## About CubePath

CubePath is a cloud provider with data centers in Europe and the United States. It offers VPS, bare metal servers and DDoS protection.

[Cloud VPS](https://cubepath.com/vps) [DDoS protection](https://cubepath.com/ddos-protection)

Data from the CVE Program (MITRE), CISA KEV and FIRST EPSS. CVSS is owned by FIRST and used by permission. Not affiliated with or endorsed by MITRE, CISA or FIRST. Data as of Nov 10, 2026, 20:03 UTC. [Sources and licenses](https://cubepath.com/security/cve/legal)