Nexus DashboardApplication · Cisco
CVE-2024-20438
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 REST API endpoints of Cisco NDFC could allow an authenticated, low-privileged, remote attacker to read or write files on an affected device. This vulnerability exists because of missing authorization controls on some REST API endpoints. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted API requests to an affected endpoint. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform limited network-admin functions such as reading device configuration information, uploading files, and modifying uploaded files. Note: This vulnerability only affects a subset of REST API endpoints and does not affect the web-based management interface.
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 a broken access control vulnerability in Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) where certain REST API endpoints lack proper authorization validation. An authenticated low-privilege attacker can exploit missing authorization checks to read device configuration files and perform limited file upload/modification operations. This represents an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) issue where the API trusts user authentication but doesn't verify if the user has sufficient permissions for the requested file operations.
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
Nexus DashboardApplication
< 3.2\(1e\)
Nexus Dashboard Fabric ControllerApplication
>= 12.0.0, < 12.2.2CVSS 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
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed NDFC versionLog into the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller web interface and navigate to the Admin > System > Software Management page, or run 'show version' via CLI to retrieve the running software version.Affected if The installed version is Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller >= 12.0.0 but < 12.2.2, or Cisco Nexus Dashboard < 3.2(1e)
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Confirm REST API is enabledCheck if the NDFC REST API service is running by accessing the API endpoint (typically at https://<ndfc-host>/app/api/v1) or reviewing the services status in the Nexus Dashboard admin console.Affected if The REST API service is exposed and accessible to the user network
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Review API access logs for file operationsExamine NDFC API access logs in the /var/log directory or via the controller's logging interface, searching for GET/POST requests to file-related endpoints such as /api/v1/file/ or /api/v1/config/ from standard user accounts.Affected if Logs show file read or write operations performed by users lacking administrative privileges
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Check for unauthorized config file accessAudit the configuration archive or backup directory for recent access timestamps, and cross-reference with user account activity logs to identify if low-privilege users accessed sensitive device configuration files.Affected if Configuration files were accessed or modified by authenticated users without administrative permissions
You are affected if your Cisco NDFC version falls within 12.0.0 to 12.2.1 or Nexus Dashboard is below 3.2(1e), and the REST API is accessible to authenticated low-privilege 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 data3.212.2.2
Apply the Cisco vendor patch when available. Until then, restrict API access to only trusted users and monitor for suspicious file access patterns via the affected endpoints.
Fix this in Nexus Dashboard
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-20438 — 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-2024-20438 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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