Evolved Programmable Network ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2023-20258
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 Prime Infrastructure could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. This vulnerability is due to improper processing of serialized Java objects by the affected application. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by uploading a document containing malicious serialized Java objects to be processed by the affected application. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause the application to execute arbitrary commands.
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 · low confidenceThis is a Java deserialization vulnerability in Cisco Prime Infrastructure's web-based management interface. An authenticated attacker can upload a malicious serialized Java object that, when processed by the application, triggers arbitrary OS command execution. The vulnerability stems from insecure deserialization of untrusted Java objects.
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
Evolved Programmable Network ManagerApplication
< 7.1.1
Prime InfrastructureApplication
< 3.10.4= 3.10.4CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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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Identify if affected Cisco product is installedInventory your systems for Cisco Prime Infrastructure or Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager installations. Check running processes, installed packages, or consult infrastructure documentation.Affected if Cisco Prime Infrastructure or Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager is present on the network
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Determine the installed product versionLog into the web-based management interface and navigate to the About or Administration > Settings page to view the software version. Alternatively, check the installation directory or use CLI commands if available.Affected if Version is Cisco Prime Infrastructure < 3.10.4 or = 3.10.4, OR Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager < 7.1.1
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Verify web management interface accessibilityDetermine if the web-based management interface (typically ports 443, 8443, or 8080) is reachable from network segments outside the trusted administrative network.Affected if Web management interface is exposed to untrusted or external networks
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Confirm authentication is enforced on the web interfaceAttempt to access the web interface without credentials and verify that authentication is required. Check that default credentials have been changed and that strong authentication is enabled.Affected if Web interface allows unauthenticated access or uses weak/default credentials
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Check if file upload functionality is enabledWithin the web management interface, locate file upload or import features (often found in administration, backup, or device provisioning sections). Verify whether the file upload capability is enabled or accessible to users.Affected if File upload functionality is enabled and accessible to authenticated users
You are affected if you have Cisco Prime Infrastructure (version < 3.10.4 or = 3.10.4) or Cisco Evolved Programmable Network Manager (version < 7.1.1) with an accessible web interface where file upload is enabled.
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.
dbcve · scoped3.10.47.1.1
Apply Cisco's available patch for this vulnerability. Until patched, restrict access to the web management interface to only authenticated, trusted users on trusted networks, and disable file upload functionality if not required by business operations.
Evolved Programmable Network Manager: upgrade to 7.1.1 or later; Prime Infrastructure: upgrade to 3.10.5 or later
- 1. Back up the current Prime Infrastructure or Evolved Programmable Network Manager configuration and data.
- 2. Review Cisco release notes for the target version to ensure compatibility with your deployment.
- 3. Download the fixed version (7.1.1 or later for Evolved Programmable Network Manager; 3.10.5 or later for Prime Infrastructure) from Cisco.com or the Cisco Software Download center.
- 4. Schedule a maintenance window as the upgrade will require downtime.
- 5. Follow the standard Cisco upgrade procedure: stop services, run the upgrade installer, validate the installation, and restart services.
- 6. After upgrade, verify the web interface is accessible and confirm the version number matches the fixed release.
- 7. Validate that previously exploited functionality now works correctly and monitor for any anomalous behavior.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Evolved Programmable Network Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-20258 — 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-2023-20258 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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