Nx OsOperating system · Cisco
CVE-2022-20650
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 NX-API feature of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of user supplied data that is sent to the NX-API. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP POST request to the NX-API of an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying operating system. Note: The NX-API feature is disabled by default.
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 confidenceA command injection vulnerability in Cisco NX-OS Software's NX-API feature allows authenticated remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation of user-supplied data in HTTP POST requests to the NX-API endpoint.
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
Nx OsOperating system
= 10.2\(1.72\)= 7.3\(8\)n1\(0.4\)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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check NX-OS software versionRun 'show version' on the device and locate the installed NX-OS version string.Affected if The installed version matches 10.2(1.72) or 7.3(8)n1(0.4).
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Verify NX-API feature statusRun 'show nxapi' or 'show running-config | include nxapi' to check whether the NX-API feature is enabled.Affected if NX-API shows as enabled or 'enabled' appears in the configuration.
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Confirm NX-API endpoint accessibilityAttempt a local HTTPS or HTTP request to the NX-API endpoint (port 443/80) from an authorized management interface, or review access lists to determine if NX-API is reachable.Affected if The NX-API endpoint responds to requests, indicating it is accessible.
The environment is affected only if NX-OS version is 10.2(1.72) or 7.3(8)n1(0.4) AND NX-API is enabled and accessible.
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 dataEnsure NX-API remains disabled if not required (it is disabled by default). If enabled, apply Cisco's available software updates and restrict NX-API access to trusted users through access control lists or network segmentation.
Fix this in Nx Os
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-2022-20650 — 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-2022-20650 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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