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Unified Computing SystemApplication · Cisco

CVE-2016-6402

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-09-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
UCS Manager and UCS 6200 Fabric Interconnects in Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) through 3.0(2d) allow local users to obtain OS root access via crafted CLI input, aka Bug ID CSCuz91263.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Local privilege escalation vulnerability in Cisco UCS Manager and UCS 6200 Fabric Interconnects allows authenticated local users to gain OS root access through crafted CLI input. The vulnerability exists in the CLI interface of the Unified Computing System through version 3.0(2d).

MitigationApply the appropriate Cisco firmware/software update for UCS Manager and Fabric Interconnects that addresses this vulnerability. Refer to Cisco security advisory for the specific fixed version. Restrict local CLI access to trusted personnel until patching is complete.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Unified Computing SystemApplication
Affected:= 2.2\(1b\)= 2.2\(1c\)= 2.2\(1d\)= 2.2\(1e\)= 2.2\(1f\)= 2.2\(1g\)= 2.2\(1h\)= 2.2\(2c\)= 2.2\(2c\)a= 2.2\(2d\)= 2.2\(2e\)= 2.2\(3a\)

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Cisco UCS product in your environment
    Log into the UCS Manager or Fabric Interconnect and run 'show version' or check the system inventory to confirm the product is either UCS Manager or UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnect
    Affected if The product is Cisco UCS Manager or UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnect
  2. Determine the installed firmware/software version
    Execute 'show version' on the UCS Manager CLI or Fabric Interconnect CLI and locate the version string (for example, 2.2(1b), 2.2(2c), 2.2(3a), etc.)
    Affected if The version falls within the range 2.2(1b) through 2.2(3a) inclusive
  3. Verify local CLI user accounts exist
    In UCS Manager, use 'show local-user' or 'show running-config | include user' to list locally configured user accounts that have CLI access
    Affected if Local user accounts are configured with CLI privileges (not TACACS/RADIUS only)
  4. Confirm CLI access method is enabled
    Check the UCS Manager or Fabric Interconnect configuration for enabled access methods using 'show running-config' or the GUI under Admin > User Management > User Management
    Affected if Local CLI access (SSH or console) is enabled and accessible to users

You are affected if you are running Cisco UCS Manager or UCS 6200 Fabric Interconnect with firmware version 2.2(1b) through 2.2(3a) and local authenticated CLI users exist in your environment.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the appropriate Cisco firmware/software update for UCS Manager and Fabric Interconnects that addresses this vulnerability. Refer to Cisco security advisory for the specific fixed version. Restrict local CLI access to trusted personnel until patching is complete.

Fix this in Unified Computing System Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-6402 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data