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Smart Software Manager On PremApplication · Cisco

CVE-2020-3443

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-08-26
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable 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
A vulnerability in Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate privileges and execute commands with higher privileges. The vulnerability is due to insufficient authorization of the System Operator role capabilities. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in with the System Operator role, performing a series of actions, and then assuming a new higher privileged role. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform all actions associated with the privilege of the assumed role. If that role is an administrative role, the attacker would gain full access to the device.

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 confidence

Cisco SSM On-Prem contains an authorization flaw where the System Operator role can perform a sequence of actions to assume higher-privileged roles, including administrative roles. An authenticated attacker with base System Operator credentials can escalate privileges to full device control by exploiting insufficient role-based access control (RBAC) enforcement.

MitigationApply the Cisco patch for CVE-2020-3443; until then, restrict network access to SSM On-Prem to trusted admin IPs and monitor for unusual role changes.

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
Smart Software Manager On PremApplication
Affected:= 8-202004

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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. Confirm Cisco SSM On-Prem is installed
    Identify whether Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem is deployed in your environment. Check for the application running on your network, typically accessible via HTTPS on port 443 or 8443, or locate installation directories on your servers.
    Affected if Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem is present in the environment
  2. Check installed version
    Determine the exact version of Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem. Access the product interface and navigate to System or About pages to find the version number. Compare against the affected version 8-202004.
    Affected if Installed version is 8-202004
  3. Review user accounts and roles
    Examine the user management section of the SSM On-Prem admin console. List all user accounts and their assigned roles. Identify any accounts assigned the System Operator role or equivalent low-privilege role.
    Affected if Accounts exist with System Operator role or base operator privileges
  4. Inspect RBAC configuration
    Access the role-based access control (RBAC) settings in SSM On-Prem. Review the permissions assigned to the System Operator role and check whether enforcement properly prevents privilege escalation to higher-privileged roles.
    Affected if RBAC configuration allows or does not prevent escalation from System Operator to administrative roles
  5. Audit logs for role changes
    Review SSM On-Prem audit and event logs for any recent modifications to user roles or privilege levels. Look specifically for events showing role changes from System Operator to Administrator or Super Admin roles.
    Affected if Logs show unauthorized role escalation attempts or successful privilege elevation from operator-level accounts

Environment is affected if running Cisco SSM On-Prem version 8-202004 with accounts assigned the System Operator role and RBAC does not properly prevent privilege escalation to administrative roles.

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 Cisco patch for CVE-2020-3443; until then, restrict network access to SSM On-Prem to trusted admin IPs and monitor for unusual role changes.

Fix this in Smart Software Manager On Prem Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
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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-2020-3443 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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