Catalyst CenterApplication · Cisco
CVE-2025-20349
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 of Cisco Catalyst Center could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary commands in a restricted container as the root user. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input in REST API request parameters. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted API request to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to inject arbitrary commands that would then be executed in a restricted container with root privileges. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must have valid credentials for a user account with at least the role of Observer.
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 command injection vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst Center's REST API allows authenticated attackers with Observer-level credentials or higher to inject and execute arbitrary commands as root within a restricted container. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input in API request parameters.
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
< 2.3.7.10CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Confirm Cisco Catalyst Center deploymentIdentify whether Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center) is installed in your environment. Check for the application at its expected hostname/IP and verify the product name in your asset inventory or installed software list.Affected if Cisco Catalyst Center is present in the environment
-
Check installed versionAccess the Cisco Catalyst Center UI or API and determine the currently installed version. In the UI, this is typically found under Help > About or in the system settings. Via API, you can query the /dna/system/api/v1/version endpoint if accessible.Affected if The installed version is lower than 2.3.7.10 (e.g., 2.3.7.9, 2.3.7.0, earlier releases)
-
Verify REST API accessibilityConfirm that the Cisco Catalyst Center REST API endpoints are reachable from network locations where untrusted users could submit requests. Check firewall rules, API gateway configurations, and whether the API is exposed externally or internally.Affected if The REST API is accessible from locations where Observer-level or higher users can reach it
-
Identify users with Observer-level or higher privilegesReview user accounts and roles in Cisco Catalyst Center under Administration > Users > User Management. Document accounts assigned Observer, Admin, or higher privilege roles that could authenticate to the REST API.Affected if There are user accounts with Observer-level credentials or higher, as this role is required for the authenticated attack vector
-
Inspect API request logs for anomaliesReview Cisco Catalyst Center audit logs and API access logs for suspicious command-style parameters or unexpected API calls, especially those containing shell metacharacters or unusual parameter values. Check under Operations > Audit Logs or the equivalent logging facility.Affected if There are anomalous API requests containing potential command injection patterns, or if you find evidence of unauthorized command execution
You are affected if Cisco Catalyst Center is deployed with a version lower than 2.3.7.10 and the REST API is accessible to users with Observer-level or higher credentials.
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 · scoped2.3.7.10
Apply the vendor patch when released; until then, limit API access to trusted users only, audit existing Observer accounts for necessity, and implement network segmentation to reduce the attack surface.
2.3.7.10 or later
- Review Cisco Catalyst Center upgrade documentation and release notes
- Plan maintenance window for upgrade procedure
- Backup current Catalyst Center configuration and data
- Upgrade Cisco Catalyst Center to version 2.3.7.10 or later
- Verify the upgrade was successful and the vulnerability is remediated
- Confirm all services are operational post-upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Catalyst Center
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 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 $8,928.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-20349 — 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-2025-20349 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
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.
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.
- 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