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Nexus DashboardApplication · Cisco

CVE-2025-20348

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-08-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.1 or later.
See remediation →
56/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 the REST API endpoints of Cisco Nexus Dashboard and Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) could allow an authenticated, low-privileged, remote attacker to view sensitive information or upload and modify files on an affected device. This vulnerability exists because of missing authorization controls on some REST API endpoints. An attacker could exploit th vulnerability by sending crafted API requests to an affected endpoint. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform limited Administrator functions, such as accessing sensitive information regarding HTTP Proxy and NTP configurations, uploading images, and damaging image files on an affected 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

This vulnerability in Cisco Nexus Dashboard and NDFC stems from missing authorization checks on specific REST API endpoints, allowing authenticated low-privileged users to bypass access controls and perform limited Administrator functions including viewing sensitive proxy/NTP configuration, uploading images, and modifying image files.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided security patches from Cisco for this vulnerability to restore proper authorization controls on affected REST API endpoints.

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
Affected:< 4.1\(1g\)

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
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

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

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

  1. Identify installed Nexus Dashboard version
    Log into the Nexus Dashboard admin interface or use CLI command 'show version' to determine the currently installed software version. Compare this version number against the affected range of versions prior to 4.1(1g).
    Affected if The installed version is Cisco Nexus Dashboard and is lower than 4.1(1g)
  2. Verify REST API authorization controls
    Using an authenticated low-privileged user account (non-administrator), attempt to access REST API endpoints for /api/v1/admin/proxy-config, /api/v1/admin/ntp-config, /api/v1/images/upload, or /api/v1/images/modify. Observe whether these requests succeed without proper administrator role validation.
    Affected if Low-privileged users can successfully access endpoints that should require Administrator privileges
  3. Review API access logs for privilege escalation
    Examine Nexus Dashboard system logs and API access logs (typically found in /var/log/ or via the GUI audit logs) for entries where non-administrative users accessed administrative API endpoints. Look for HTTP 200 responses on sensitive proxy/NTP configuration endpoints from standard user sessions.
    Affected if Logs show low-privilege users successfully accessing Administrator-restricted API endpoints
  4. Check for sensitive configuration exposure
    As a low-privileged user, query the proxy and NTP configuration API endpoints. Verify whether sensitive information such as proxy credentials, NTP server details, or other administrative configurations are returned in the API response.
    Affected if Sensitive proxy or NTP configuration data is returned to non-administrative users via the API

The environment is affected if Nexus Dashboard version is below 4.1(1g) AND low-privilege users can access administrative REST API endpoints or view sensitive proxy/NTP configuration without proper authorization.

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 4.1 or later
Fixed in 4.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-provided security patches from Cisco for this vulnerability to restore proper authorization controls on affected REST API endpoints.

Recommended fix High confidence

Cisco Nexus Dashboard 4.1(1g) or later

  1. 1. Back up the current Nexus Dashboard configuration before starting the upgrade process
  2. 2. Review Cisco Nexus Dashboard upgrade documentation for your specific deployment model
  3. 3. Schedule a maintenance window as upgrades require downtime
  4. 4. Upgrade Cisco Nexus Dashboard to version 4.1(1g) or later release
  5. 5. After upgrade, verify the REST API endpoints now properly enforce authorization controls
  6. 6. Confirm that low-privileged users can no longer access HTTP Proxy, NTP configurations, or perform image upload/modification operations
Caveat Standard upgrade risks apply - ensure backups and follow Cisco upgrade procedures for your deployment type

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
  • 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.

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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-2025-20348 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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