IoxApplication · Cisco
CVE-2020-3237
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 · uneditedA vulnerability in the Cisco Application Framework component of the Cisco IOx application environment could allow an authenticated, local attacker to overwrite arbitrary files in the virtual instance that is running on the affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient path restriction enforcement. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including a crafted file in an application package. An exploit could allow the attacker to overwrite files.
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 · moderate confidenceA local authenticated attacker can exploit insufficient path restriction enforcement in Cisco IOx's Application Framework to overwrite arbitrary files in the virtual instance by including crafted files in an application package. This is a path traversal vulnerability in the packaging mechanism.
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
IoxApplication
< 1.9.0CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify Cisco IOx versionAccess the device CLI and run 'show version' or 'show iox' to display the installed Cisco IOx version. Alternatively, access the IOx web interface and check the version information in the system settings or about section.Affected if The displayed version is lower than 1.9.0 (for example, 1.8.x, 1.7.x, or earlier).
-
Confirm IOx Application Framework is activeCheck the status of the IOx service using 'show iox' or 'show iox service' in the device CLI. Verify that the Application Framework or IOx service shows as running or enabled.Affected if IOx Application Framework is enabled and running on the device.
-
Verify local authenticated access existsReview user accounts configured on the device with permissions to manage IOx applications. Check for local user accounts with IOx administrative or developer roles using 'show user' or by accessing the IOx management interface user list.Affected if Local authenticated user accounts exist with privileges to create, upload, or deploy IOx application packages.
-
Review deployed application packagesList installed IOx applications using 'show iox app' or through the IOx web interface application inventory. Identify any custom or third-party application packages that were imported or deployed.Affected if Any application packages are installed, especially those from untrusted sources, as these could contain crafted traversal payloads.
The environment is affected if Cisco IOx version is below 1.9.0, the IOx Application Framework is enabled, and local authenticated users can deploy application packages.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 data1.9.0
Apply the Cisco security update for CVE-2020-3237 to affected Cisco IOx installations. If unavailable, restrict local authenticated access and review application package validation processes.
Fix this in Iox
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,448.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-3237 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-3237 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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