Nexus DashboardApplication · Cisco
CVE-2024-20442
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 Nexus Dashboard could allow an authenticated, low-privileged, remote attacker to perform limited Administrator actions on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient 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 Administrator functions such as viewing portions of the web UI, generating config only or full backup files, and deleting tech support files. 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 · high confidenceThis is an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) or broken access control vulnerability in Cisco Nexus Dashboard's REST API. A low-privileged authenticated attacker can bypass authorization checks on certain REST API endpoints to perform limited Administrator functions including generating backup files and deleting tech support files.
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 the installed Cisco Nexus Dashboard productDetermine which product is running: Cisco Nexus Dashboard or Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller. Use the system inventory or product information command available in the management interface.Affected if The product is either Cisco Nexus Dashboard or Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller
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Check the installed version numberLocate the version number in the product's about or system information page. For Cisco Nexus Dashboard, look for the 3.x version. For Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller, look for the 12.x version.Affected if The version is Cisco Nexus Dashboard < 3.2(1e) OR Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller between 12.0.0 and 12.2.2 inclusive
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Verify REST API access is enabledCheck the product configuration to confirm the REST API service is enabled and accessible. This is typically found in the API settings or services management section of the administration console.Affected if REST API is enabled and accessible to the network
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Review API access logs for privilege escalation indicatorsExamine the API request logs or audit logs for operations such as backup file generation or tech support file deletion performed by accounts that should not have administrator privileges.Affected if Low-privileged user accounts have performed administrator-level operations like generating backups or deleting tech support files through the API
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Audit user account privilege levelsReview the list of configured users and their assigned roles in the user management or authentication settings. Identify accounts with non-administrator roles.Affected if There are low-privileged authenticated users configured who could potentially exploit this vulnerability
A user is affected if they are running Cisco Nexus Dashboard below version 3.2(1e) or Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller between 12.0.0 and 12.2.2, with REST API enabled, and have low-privileged accounts that could perform unauthorized admin operations.
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 · scoped3.2
Apply Cisco security updates when available; until then, restrict REST API access to trusted users only and monitor API request logs for unusual admin-level operations from standard accounts.
Nexus Dashboard: 3.2(1e) or later | Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller: 12.3.0 or later
- Identify the current version of Cisco Nexus Dashboard or Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller installed in your environment
- Determine which product and version is affected (Nexus Dashboard < 3.2(1e) or Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller between 12.0.0 and 12.2.2)
- Plan and schedule a maintenance window for the upgrade
- Back up the current configuration and any critical data
- For Nexus Dashboard: Upgrade to version 3.2(1e) or later
- For Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller: Upgrade to version 12.3.0 or later
- After upgrade, verify the system is operational and the vulnerability is remediated
- Confirm the REST API authorization controls are now properly enforced
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Nexus Dashboard
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-2024-20442 — 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-2024-20442 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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