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Data Center Network ManagerApplication · Cisco

CVE-2020-3538

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.4 or later.
See remediation →
87/100
Remediation priority · High
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 a certain REST API endpoint of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform a path traversal attack on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient path restriction enforcement. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to overwrite or list arbitrary files on the affected device.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

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

A path traversal vulnerability exists in Cisco DCNM's REST API where insufficient path restriction allows authenticated attackers to use directory traversal sequences (../) in HTTP requests to read or overwrite arbitrary files on the filesystem, potentially leading to full system compromise.

MitigationApply the Cisco software updates that address this vulnerability; no workarounds are available.

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
Affected:< 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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checks

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

  1. Identify if Cisco DCNM is installed
    Check for Cisco DCNM installation directories (typically /opt/cisco/ or /usr/local/cisco/) or look for the 'dcnm' service running on the system using commands like 'ps aux | grep -i dcnm' or 'systemctl list-units | grep -i dcnm'
    Affected if Cisco DCNM software is present on the system
  2. Determine the installed DCNM version
    Access the DCNM web interface and navigate to the About or Administration section to view the version, or check version files in the installation directory if accessible
    Affected if The version is lower than 11.4(1)
  3. Verify REST API accessibility
    Attempt to access the DCNM REST API endpoint (typically https://<dcnm-host>/rest/ ) using a browser or curl command to confirm the API is enabled and responding
    Affected if The REST API is accessible and responds to requests
  4. Inspect API access logs for traversal patterns
    Review DCNM access logs (typically found in /opt/cisco/dcnm/logs/ or similar logging directories) for HTTP requests containing '../' or directory traversal sequences sent to REST API endpoints
    Affected if Logs contain requests with '../' traversal patterns targeting the REST API

The environment is affected if Cisco Data Center Network Manager is installed with a version lower than 11.4(1) and the REST API is accessible, particularly if logs show directory traversal attempts.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 11.4 or later
Fixed in 11.4
Interim mitigation

Apply the Cisco software updates that address this vulnerability; no workarounds are available.

Recommended fix High confidence

DCNM version 11.4(1) or later

  1. 1. Back up the current DCNM configuration and ensure you have a complete system backup before proceeding with the upgrade.
  2. 2. Download the Cisco DCNM version 11.4(1) or later from the Cisco Software Download center (software.cisco.com).
  3. 3. Review the DCNM installation and upgrade guide for your specific deployment mode (standalone or cluster).
  4. 4. Ensure you have appropriate downtime scheduled as the upgrade may require service interruption.
  5. 5. Follow the documented upgrade procedure: stop DCNM services, run the installer for the new version, verify the upgrade completed successfully.
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify the DCNM web interface is accessible and confirm the version shows 11.4(1) or later.
  7. 7. Test that the REST API endpoints are functioning properly after the upgrade.
Caveat Review Cisco DCNM 11.4(1) release notes for any compatibility changes, deprecated features, or migration requirements before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Data Center Network Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2020-3538 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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