As of late 2024 and early 2025, security reports indicated that hundreds of thousands of devices worldwide were still reporting the SSH-2.0-Cisco-1.25 banner.
The string is the standard software banner embedded within the proprietary Secure Shell (SSH) server engine of older or unpatched Cisco IOS, IOS XE, and CatOS network infrastructure appliances. When network scanners or automated malicious scripts connect to an open Port 22, this string exposes the specific operating system signature. ssh-2.0-cisco-1.25 vulnerability
Because Cisco embeds this software subsystem directly into the kernel of various IOS versions, upgrading the core operating system is usually required to modify or change this identifier string. Key Historical and Modern Vulnerabilities As of late 2024 and early 2025, security
: Cisco-1.25 alone does not confirm any specific CVE. It must be cross-referenced with show version output. Because Cisco embeds this software subsystem directly into
: The flaw exists in the initial message negotiation phase before a user ever submits a password or cryptographic key.