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Nexus Dashboard Fabric ControllerApplication · Cisco

CVE-2024-20536

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-06
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
A vulnerability in a REST API endpoint and web-based management interface of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with read-only privileges to execute arbitrary SQL commands on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to a specific REST API endpoint or web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read, modify, or delete arbitrary data on an internal database, which could affect the availability of the device. 

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 confidence

SQL injection vulnerability in Cisco NDFC's REST API endpoint and web-based management interface allows an authenticated attacker with read-only privileges to execute arbitrary SQL commands by sending specially crafted requests to affected endpoints. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input, enabling the attacker to read, modify, or delete arbitrary data from the internal database.

MitigationApply Cisco's vendor patch when available. In the interim, restrict access to the REST API and web management interface to trusted users only, monitor for anomalous SQL-like patterns in requests, and consider network segmentation to limit exposure.

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 Dashboard Fabric ControllerApplication
Affected:= 12.1.2= 12.1.3

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the installed version of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller
    Access the product's web interface or CLI and locate the version information, typically found in the About or System settings section
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 12.1.2 or exactly 12.1.3
  2. Confirm the REST API endpoint is enabled
    Check the product configuration for REST API service status through the web management interface or CLI command
    Affected if The REST API is enabled and accessible in an environment running the affected versions
  3. Confirm the web-based management interface is enabled
    Verify the web management interface service is running through the product's admin console or CLI
    Affected if The web management interface is enabled in an environment running the affected versions
  4. Verify authentication settings for the REST API and web interface
    Review the access control configuration to determine which users have authenticated access, particularly read-only privilege accounts
    Affected if Untrusted or read-only authenticated users can access the REST API or web interface in versions 12.1.2 or 12.1.3

You are affected if Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller version 12.1.2 or 12.1.3 is running and the REST API or web-based management interface is accessible to authenticated users, including those with read-only privileges.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Cisco's vendor patch when available. In the interim, restrict access to the REST API and web management interface to trusted users only, monitor for anomalous SQL-like patterns in requests, and consider network segmentation to limit exposure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to a version later than 12.1.3 (contact Cisco for specific fixed release number)

  1. 1. Identify the current version of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller by accessing the web-based management interface or using the API: GET /api/v1/licenses/status
  2. 2. If version is 12.1.2 or 12.1.3, plan for upgrade to a fixed release
  3. 3. Back up current configuration and verify backup integrity before proceeding
  4. 4. Schedule maintenance window as upgrade may require downtime
  5. 5. Download the fixed release from Cisco.com or Cisco Smart Software Manager
  6. 6. Follow Cisco NDFC upgrade procedure documented in the installation guide for your deployment model
  7. 7. After upgrade, verify the web interface and API endpoints are functioning correctly
  8. 8. Confirm the version has been updated by checking: GET /api/v1/licenses/status or through web UI
Caveat Review Cisco release notes for any migration requirements or deprecated features between 12.1.x versions

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,880
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-20536 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data