The exact string ssh20cisco125 does not correspond to an official CVE ID (e.g., CVE-202X-XXXX). It is likely a search query fragment or a shorthand for a known vulnerability in Cisco IOS or Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) running software versions around AireOS 8.5 to 8.8, which affected the 2500 series (model number ending in 125, such as AIR-CT2504-K9).
The story begins in the early 2000s, an era when the internet was rapidly expanding but security was often an afterthought. 1. The "Magic" Protocol In the late 90s, Cisco Systems introduced support for SSH (Secure Shell)
On the Cisco device:
: Full root-level access, allowing arbitrary command execution. Affected Products
The most common reason for a scanner to flag "ssh20cisco125" is that the device is allowing (v1.25 being a specific sub-version of the early protocol).
: Restrict SSH access to known, trusted IP addresses to prevent unauthorized actors from even reaching the handshake phase. Disable Unnecessary SSH Services
The string "ssh20cisco125" refers to an SSH banner—a standard identification string sent by a Cisco device during the initial handshake of an SSH connection. It specifically denotes the protocol version ( ) and the Cisco-specific SSH implementation version ( Cisco-1.25
The exact string ssh20cisco125 does not correspond to an official CVE ID (e.g., CVE-202X-XXXX). It is likely a search query fragment or a shorthand for a known vulnerability in Cisco IOS or Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) running software versions around AireOS 8.5 to 8.8, which affected the 2500 series (model number ending in 125, such as AIR-CT2504-K9).
The story begins in the early 2000s, an era when the internet was rapidly expanding but security was often an afterthought. 1. The "Magic" Protocol In the late 90s, Cisco Systems introduced support for SSH (Secure Shell)
On the Cisco device:
: Full root-level access, allowing arbitrary command execution. Affected Products
The most common reason for a scanner to flag "ssh20cisco125" is that the device is allowing (v1.25 being a specific sub-version of the early protocol).
: Restrict SSH access to known, trusted IP addresses to prevent unauthorized actors from even reaching the handshake phase. Disable Unnecessary SSH Services
The string "ssh20cisco125" refers to an SSH banner—a standard identification string sent by a Cisco device during the initial handshake of an SSH connection. It specifically denotes the protocol version ( ) and the Cisco-specific SSH implementation version ( Cisco-1.25
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