Crosswork Network ControllerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2025-20166
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 Common Services Platform Collector (CSPC) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks against a user of the interface. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input by the web-based management interface of an affected system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious code into specific pages of the interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or access sensitive, browser-based information. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have at least a low-privileged account on an affected device. Cisco has not released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
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 confidenceA stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the web-based management interface of Cisco Common Services Platform Collector (CSPC). An authenticated attacker with low-privilege access can inject malicious JavaScript into specific pages due to insufficient input validation, allowing execution of arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or access to sensitive browser-based information.
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
Crosswork Network ControllerApplication
>= 5.0.0, < 5.0.4>= 6.0.0, < 6.0.3>= 7.0.0, < 7.0.1
Common Services Platform CollectorApplication
= 2.11= 2.11.0.1= 2.11.0.2= 2.11.0.3= 30.1.1-0CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/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 Cisco CSPC or Crosswork Network Controller versionAccess the web-based management interface and navigate to the About or System Information page to view the installed software version. Alternatively, use CLI: for CSPC run 'show version' or check the GUI footer for version display.Affected if The installed version falls within: Crosswork Network Controller 5.0.0 to 5.0.3, 6.0.0 to 6.0.2, or 7.0.0; or CSPC version 2.11, 2.11.0.1, 2.11.0.2, 2.11.0.3, or 30.1.1-0.
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Confirm web-based management interface is accessibleAttempt to reach the CSPC or Crosswork management interface via browser at the default HTTPS port (usually 443). Verify the login page loads.Affected if The web management interface is reachable, as this is the attack surface for the stored XSS vulnerability.
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Verify presence of low-privilege user accountsLog into the management interface with an administrative account and review User Management or User Administration settings to list all users. Check for accounts with read-only or low-privilege roles.Affected if Low-privilege user accounts exist in the system, as the vulnerability can be exploited by any authenticated user with low-privilege access.
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Audit recent configuration changes for suspicious script injectionReview system logs, audit logs, or configuration backup files for unusual script tags, JavaScript code, or encoded payloads in fields that accept user input on management pages.Affected if Unexpected JavaScript or script tags are found in user-modifiable fields within the management interface logs or configuration data.
You are likely affected if your installed version of Cisco CSPC or Crosswork Network Controller matches the affected version ranges and the web-based management interface is accessible to authenticated 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 data5.0.46.0.37.0.1
Since Cisco has not released software updates or workarounds, implement compensating controls including network segmentation to restrict access to the management interface, application-layer filtering/WAF rules to sanitize input, and monitoring for indicators of compromise. Consider disabling the web interface if not operationally required.
Fix this in Crosswork Network Controller
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 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 $7,968.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-20166 — 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-2025-20166 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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