Data Center Network ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2020-3522
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 web-based management interface of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to bypass authorization on an affected device and access sensitive information that is related to the device. The vulnerability exists because the affected software allows users to access resources that are intended for administrators only. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by submitting a crafted URL to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to add, delete, and edit certain network configurations in the same manner as a user with administrative privileges.
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 confidenceThis is an authorization bypass vulnerability in Cisco DCNM's web-based management interface where authenticated users can access admin-only resources by submitting crafted URLs. The software fails to properly enforce role-based access controls, allowing non-administrative users to perform administrative actions like adding, deleting, and editing network configurations.
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
Data Center Network ManagerApplication
< 11.4\(1\)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
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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.
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Identify if Cisco DCNM is installedCheck for Cisco Data Center Network Manager installation by searching for DCNM processes or directories on the system. Common installation paths include /opt/cisco/dcm or C:\Program Files\Cisco\DCNM.Affected if DCNM software is present on the system
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Determine the installed DCNM versionAccess the DCNM web-based management interface and navigate to the About or Administration section to view the software version. Alternatively, check the installer or version file in the DCNM installation directory.Affected if The installed version is lower than 11.4(1)
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Verify the web-based management interface is accessibleConfirm the DCNM web interface is reachable by accessing the management URL (typically https://<hostname>/dcnm) from a browser or command-line tool.Affected if The web interface is exposed and reachable
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Review user role assignments in DCNMLog into the DCNM web interface with a non-administrative user account and examine what roles and permissions are assigned. Check if multiple user accounts with different privilege levels exist.Affected if Non-administrative user accounts exist alongside admin accounts
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Test for authorization bypass (if authorized)As a non-administrative authenticated user, attempt to access admin-only URLs or features within the DCNM web interface by modifying request URLs to see if admin resources are accessible without proper authorization.Affected if Non-admin users can access admin-only resources or perform administrative actions
The environment is affected if Cisco DCNM version 11.4(1) or higher is not installed AND the web-based management interface is accessible to authenticated non-administrative users.
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 data11.4
Apply the vendor-supplied security update from Cisco for DCNM. Restrict access to the web-based management interface to trusted networks and ensure users are assigned appropriate role-based access privileges.
Fix this in Data Center Network Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-3522 — 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-2020-3522 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
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