Catalyst CenterApplication · Cisco
CVE-2020-3466
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 · uneditedMultiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco DNA Center software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface of an affected device. The vulnerabilities exist because the web-based management interface on an affected device does not properly validate user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading a user of the interface to click a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or access sensitive, browser-based information.
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 confidenceCross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Cisco DNA Center's web-based management interface due to improper validation of user-supplied input. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by tricking users into clicking crafted links, enabling arbitrary script execution in the context of the affected interface or access to sensitive browser-based information.
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
Catalyst CenterApplication
all versionsCVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
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.
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Confirm Cisco DNA Center or Catalyst Center is deployedCheck for the presence of the Cisco DNA Center application in your environment. This may involve checking installed software listings, consulting with IT asset management systems, or identifying the application via process or service listings on known management servers.Affected if The product is installed and the web-based management interface is accessible.
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Identify the web management interface portCisco DNA Center typically exposes its web interface on port 443 (HTTPS). Check running services or listening ports on the DNA Center server to confirm the management interface is active.Affected if The management interface port (typically 443) is listening and accessible.
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Verify network accessibility of the web interfaceDetermine whether the DNA Center web interface is reachable from network segments accessible to users or attackers. This can include checking firewall rules, ACLs, or performing a connectivity test from external locations to the management IP address.Affected if The web interface is exposed to untrusted networks or users without proper network segmentation.
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Review user access to the management interfaceAssess whether the DNA Center web interface authentication is properly configured and whether users have been trained to recognize phishing attempts via crafted links, as the exploit relies on social engineering.Affected if Users have access to the web interface and could be targeted with malicious crafted links.
If Cisco DNA Center (now Catalyst Center) is deployed with its web-based management interface accessible, the environment is affected by this XSS vulnerability since all versions are impacted.
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 dataApply the Cisco patch for CVE-2020-3466 when available. In the interim, educate users about not clicking untrusted links and consider deploying a WAF to filter malicious requests.
Fix this in Catalyst Center
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 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 $4,928.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-3466 — 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-2020-3466 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
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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
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