dbcve.org
Catalyst CenterApplication · Cisco

CVE-2025-20210

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-05-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.3.7.9 or later.
See remediation →
82/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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 the management API of Cisco Catalyst Center, formerly Cisco DNA Center, could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to read and modify the outgoing proxy configuration settings. This vulnerability is due to the lack of authentication in an API endpoint. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a request to the affected API of a Catalyst Center device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view or modify the outgoing proxy configuration, which could disrupt internet traffic from Cisco Catalyst Center or may allow the attacker to intercept outbound internet traffic.

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 confidence

An authentication bypass vulnerability exists in the management API of Cisco Catalyst Center where an unauthenticated attacker can access an API endpoint that handles proxy configuration settings without any authentication, allowing them to view or modify these settings.

MitigationApply the Cisco security patch or firmware update for Cisco Catalyst Center when released. In the interim, restrict network access to the management API to trusted internal IPs only.

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
Affected:< 2.3.7.9

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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 Cisco Catalyst Center version via web UI
    Log into the Cisco Catalyst Center web interface and navigate to Administration > System Settings > About. Record the displayed software version.
    Affected if The displayed version is less than 2.3.7.9 (for example, 2.3.7.8, 2.3.7.0, 2.3.6.x, or earlier).
  2. Identify Cisco Catalyst Center version via CLI
    Access the Cisco Catalyst Center appliance via SSH or console. Run the command 'show version' or 'show application-status catalyst-center' to retrieve the installed version.
    Affected if The version output shows a number lower than 2.3.7.9.
  3. Identify Cisco Catalyst Center version via API
    Send an authenticated GET request to the API endpoint '/api/v1/system/version' or similar version endpoint using the Catalyst Center API. Check the JSON response for the 'version' or 'softwareVersion' field.
    Affected if The API returns a version field with a value less than 2.3.7.9.
  4. Confirm management API accessibility
    From an untrusted network or as an unauthenticated user, attempt to access the proxy configuration API endpoint (typically /api/v1/global-proxy or similar proxy-related endpoint) without providing credentials. Observe whether the request is accepted or returns proxy configuration data.
    Affected if The API responds with proxy configuration details or accepts the request without requiring authentication (HTTP 200 OK response instead of 401 Unauthorized).

You are affected if Cisco Catalyst Center is running any version lower than 2.3.7.9, as the authentication bypass vulnerability exists in all earlier versions.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.3.7.9 or later
Fixed in 2.3.7.9
Interim mitigation

Apply the Cisco security patch or firmware update for Cisco Catalyst Center when released. In the interim, restrict network access to the management API to trusted internal IPs only.

Recommended fix High confidence

Cisco Catalyst Center version 2.3.7.9

  1. Log into Cisco Catalyst Center as an administrator
  2. Backup the current Catalyst Center configuration and note the current software version
  3. Review Cisco Catalyst Center release notes for version 2.3.7.9 to ensure compatibility with your current setup
  4. Download Cisco Catalyst Center version 2.3.7.9 from the Cisco software download page (requires valid Cisco Smart Account)
  5. Follow Cisco's standard upgrade procedure for Catalyst Center: typically via the Administration > Software Updates > Software Migration or equivalent GUI path, or via CLI using the admin console
  6. Upload the 2.3.7.9 image and initiate the upgrade process
  7. Allow sufficient time for the upgrade to complete (Catalyst Center upgrades can take several hours)
  8. After upgrade completes, verify the Catalyst Center version shows 2.3.7.9 or later
Caveat Review release notes for any compatibility considerations; minor version upgrades typically maintain backward compatibility but ensure third-party integrations and custom workflows are tested

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

Fix this in Catalyst Center Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,480
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,968.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-20210 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2025-20210 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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