CVE-2024-20324: Cisco IOS XE Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2024-20324 Overview

CVE-2024-20324 is an information disclosure vulnerability in the command-line interface (CLI) of Cisco IOS XE Software. The flaw allows an authenticated, low-privileged, local attacker to retrieve Wireless LAN (WLAN) configuration details, including passwords, by abusing show and show tech wireless CLI commands. The vulnerability stems from improper privilege checks [CWE-274] within the wireless configuration display logic. Cisco assigned a CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 (MEDIUM), reflecting local-only access and impact limited to confidentiality.

Critical Impact
Low-privileged local users can read WLAN passwords and other wireless configuration data they are not authorized to access, enabling further lateral movement against the wireless infrastructure.

Affected Products

Cisco IOS XE Software 16.10.x through 16.12.x
Cisco IOS XE Software 17.1.x through 17.9.x
Cisco IOS XE Software 17.10.x, 17.11.1, and 17.12.1

Discovery Timeline

2024-03-27 - CVE-2024-20324 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2025-07-30 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-20324

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the CLI privilege enforcement layer of Cisco IOS XE Software. Specifically, the show and show tech wireless commands do not correctly validate that the invoking user holds sufficient privileges to view WLAN configuration data. As a result, accounts intended to have restricted visibility can dump sensitive wireless parameters, including pre-shared keys and other credential material.

The Common Weakness Enumeration classifies the root cause as [CWE-274] Improper Handling of Insufficient Privileges. The exploitation requires only an authenticated session on the device console or virtual terminal, with no user interaction beyond running the CLI commands. The scope is unchanged, and only confidentiality is impacted under the CVSS vector.

Root Cause

The show tech wireless and related show commands generate diagnostic output containing the running wireless configuration. The command handlers fail to apply the same privilege filtering used elsewhere in IOS XE, so output sections that should be redacted for low-privilege users — including WLAN passwords — are rendered verbatim. The defect is a logic gap in the authorization check rather than a parser or memory safety issue.

Attack Vector

An attacker must already possess a valid low-privilege account on the IOS XE device, obtained through credential reuse, phishing, or insider access. After authenticating to the CLI through SSH, console, or another management channel, the attacker issues show tech wireless or related show subcommands. The device returns the wireless configuration in cleartext, exposing WLAN PSKs and other secrets that can be used to access the wireless network or pivot deeper into the environment.

No exploitation in the wild has been reported, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Public proof-of-concept code is not currently available.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-20324

Indicators of Compromise

Execution of show tech wireless or broad show running-config variants by accounts that do not normally perform wireless administration.
Unexpected SSH or console logins from low-privilege service accounts followed by configuration display commands.
AAA accounting logs showing repeated show commands enumerating wireless subsystems within a short window.

Detection Strategies

Enable TACACS+ or RADIUS command accounting on all IOS XE devices and forward logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation.
Build alerts on privilege-level mismatches: low-privilege users issuing show tech or wireless configuration commands.
Baseline normal administrator behavior and flag deviations such as off-hours configuration dumps.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward IOS XE syslog and AAA accounting events to a security data lake for long-term retention and hunting.
Monitor terminal monitor and show command frequency per account, focusing on accounts with limited privilege levels.
Review wireless infrastructure access logs for WLAN authentication attempts that follow suspicious CLI activity on adjacent devices.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-20324

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the fixed Cisco IOS XE release identified in the Cisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-iosxe-wlc-privesc-RjSMrmPK.
Audit all local and AAA-defined accounts on IOS XE devices and remove unused or stale low-privilege users.
Rotate WLAN pre-shared keys and any credentials that may have been exposed through show tech wireless output.

Patch Information

Cisco has published fixed software releases in the Cisco Security Advisory cisco-sa-iosxe-wlc-privesc-RjSMrmPK. Administrators should consult the advisory's Fixed Software section to identify the appropriate upgrade target for their installed train (16.x, 17.x). No workaround is provided by Cisco; upgrading is the supported remediation path.

Workarounds

Restrict CLI access to trusted management networks using infrastructure access control lists and out-of-band management.
Enforce least-privilege role assignments and avoid granting unprivileged users any access to the device CLI where feasible.
Use AAA command authorization to explicitly deny show tech and wireless show commands for non-administrative privilege levels until patching is complete.

bash

# Example AAA command authorization restricting show tech wireless for privilege 1 users
aaa new-model
aaa authorization commands 1 default group tacacs+ local
!
privilege exec level 15 show tech-support wireless
privilege exec level 15 show wireless
!
line vty 0 4
  transport input ssh
  access-class MGMT-ACL in