Catalyst CenterApplication · Cisco
CVE-2024-20350
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 SSH server of Cisco Catalyst Center, formerly Cisco DNA Center, could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to impersonate a Cisco Catalyst Center appliance. This vulnerability is due to the presence of a static SSH host key. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by performing a machine-in-the-middle attack on SSH connections, which could allow the attacker to intercept traffic between SSH clients and a Cisco Catalyst Center appliance. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to impersonate the affected appliance, inject commands into the terminal session, and steal valid user credentials.
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 confidenceThe vulnerability stems from a static SSH host key present across Cisco Catalyst Center appliances. SSH host keys uniquely identify servers; when static and shared, attackers who obtain this key can perform man-in-the-middle attacks, intercepting SSH traffic to impersonate the appliance, inject commands, and harvest credentials.
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
= 1.0.0= 1.4.0.0= 2.1.1.0= 2.1.1.3= 2.1.2.0= 2.1.2.3= 2.1.2.4= 2.1.2.5= 2.1.2.6= 2.1.2.7= 2.1.2.8= 2.2.1.0CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/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 Cisco Catalyst Center versionRun the command to display the installed Cisco Catalyst Center version, typically via the administrative UI or CLI command 'show version'Affected if The installed version matches any of these: 1.0.0, 1.4.0.0, 2.1.1.0, 2.1.1.3, 2.1.2.0, 2.1.2.3, 2.1.2.4, 2.1.2.5, 2.1.2.6, 2.1.2.7, 2.1.2.8, 2.2.1.0
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Retrieve the current SSH host key fingerprintConnect to the appliance via an independent trusted out-of-band management network and run 'ssh-keyscan -t rsa,ecdsa,ed25519 <appliance_ip>' to obtain the SSH host key fingerprintsAffected if The SSH host key matches any widely distributed or documented static key known to be used in default Cisco Catalyst Center installations
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Verify SSH host key uniqueness across appliancesIf multiple Cisco Catalyst Center appliances exist, compare the SSH host keys between them using 'ssh-keyscan' from a trusted sourceAffected if Different appliances share identical SSH host keys, indicating use of a static default key
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Check for known static key fingerprintsReview Cisco security advisory documentation for any published static key fingerprints associated with CVE-2024-20350 and compare against your current host keyAffected if Your current SSH host key matches the static key listed in Cisco advisory documentation for this CVE
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Audit SSH client connection logsReview SSH client logs and known_hosts files for any host key mismatch warnings, warnings of man-in-the-middle indicators, or unexpected key changes over timeAffected if Historical logs show host key mismatches, unexpected key changes, or signs that clients have previously flagged the server fingerprint as unusual
A Cisco Catalyst Center installation is likely affected if the installed version matches any of the listed affected versions AND the SSH host key is found to be static or shared with other installations.
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 · scopedApply Cisco's official patch for CVE-2024-20350 to regenerate unique SSH host keys. Verify the new host key fingerprint post-patch and monitor for signs of historical compromise.
Cisco Catalyst Center fixed release (check sec.cloudapps.cisco.com for the specific version)
- 1. Check Cisco Catalyst Center security advisory for CVE-2024-20350 at sec.cloudapps.cisco.com or Cisco.com to identify the specific fixed release
- 2. Back up the current Catalyst Center configuration
- 3. Plan maintenance window as upgrade will require downtime
- 4. Download the fixed release of Cisco Catalyst Center
- 5. Follow Cisco upgrade documentation to install the fixed version
- 6. After upgrade, verify SSH service is running correctly
- 7. Change SSH credentials as a precaution since the vulnerability could have allowed credential theft
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Catalyst Center
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $3,168.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-20350 — 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-2024-20350 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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