Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAuthenticate to Nexus Dashboard (PR:L)
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DeliverySubmit crafted input to command-handling function
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ExploitInject unneutralized OS command (CWE-77)
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ExecutionExecute code in platform context
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PersistCross scope boundary (S:C) to managed fabric
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ImpactFull compromise of confidentiality, integrity, availability
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Command injection prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires authenticated access to the Cisco Nexus Dashboard management interface (PR:L) - an attacker must already possess valid low-privilege credentials or a session, which is the primary limiting factor. Given AV:N/AC:L/UI:N, once authenticated the injection is reachable over the network with low complexity and no user interaction. The grouped hardening advisory does not enumerate a specific feature toggle or non-default configuration prerequisite for CVE-2026-20325, so it should be assumed reachable in standard deployments of affected Nexus Dashboard versions; consult the Cisco advisory fixed-release table for exact affected versions. |
| Impact | This is a vendor-asserted 9.9 Critical (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H) command-injection flaw (CWE-77) in Cisco Nexus Dashboard, disclosed as part of a grouped internal 'hardening release' advisory (cisco-sa-hardening-ndw1-psFvnrg) rather than an externally-reported single-issue advisory. The score reflects genuinely high-impact shape - network-reachable, low-complexity, authenticated (PR:L), with a scope change (S:C) and full C:H/I:H/A:H - but every impact metric is Cisco-asserted from an internal review with no per-CVE technical breakdown. No EPSS score, no CISA KEV listing, and no public POC are provided, so exploitation status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' The key mitigating signal is PR:L: an attacker needs valid credentials/authenticated access to the Nexus Dashboard, which meaningfully limits the unauthenticated internet-scan threat despite AV:N. Net: a real patch-priority item for organizations running Nexus Dashboard because of the RCE-class impact and low complexity, but the absence of active-exploitation or POC signals and the authentication requirement argue for prompt scheduled patching rather than emergency response. Note the grouped-advisory format means precise affected version boundaries and per-CVE conditions are not enumerated in the provided data - verify against the Cisco advisory fixed-release table. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with valid low-privilege authenticated access to a Cisco Nexus Dashboard instance submits crafted input to a function that passes it to a system command without proper neutralization, injecting OS commands that execute in the underlying platform context. Because the scope changes (S:C), the attacker can pivot beyond the vulnerable component to impact the broader orchestration platform and the fabric it manages. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis; the flaw was internally discovered by Cisco. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 16, 2026
Command injection (CWE-77) in Cisco Nexus Dashboard allows a remote, authenticated attacker holding low-privilege credentials to inject and execute arbitrary commands, carrying a vendor-assigned CVSS of 9.9 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H) with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact and a Scope:Changed rating. The flaw was disclosed as one of multiple issues fixed in a grouped Cisco internal 'hardening release' advisory (cisco-sa-hardening-ndw1-psFvnrg) rather than a single externally reported CVE, so specific exploit prerequisites and exact affected version boundaries should be confirmed against that advisory's fixed-release table. Authentication is the primary limiting factor - the attacker must already possess valid low-privilege credentials or a session on the management interface - and no public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
Apply the hardened Nexus Dashboard release identified in Cisco's advisory cisco-sa-hardening-ndw1-psFvnrg (https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-hardening-ndw1-psFvnrg), matching your deployed version against the fixed-release table before upgrading; patch availability is confirmed per vendor advisory, but no exact fixed version string is provided in the available data, so do not assume a version number without checking the Cisco table. Until the upgrade is completed, the highest-value compensating control is to tightly limit who can authenticate to the Nexus Dashboard management interface: enforce least-privilege RBAC and remove or disable unused low-privilege accounts, since PR:L indicates any valid low-privilege session is enough to reach the injection - the trade-off is reduced operational flexibility for read-only or delegated users. Additionally, restrict network access to the management plane with firewall rules, ACLs, or management-network segmentation so only trusted administrative subnets can reach the interface, accepting the trade-off that remote administration from outside those subnets becomes impossible. Because the defect is an input-neutralization flaw in a command sink, there is no reliable configuration toggle that removes the exposure; monitor Nexus Dashboard audit and system logs for anomalous command or API activity as a detection measure, understanding that logging detects rather than prevents exploitation.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The root cause is CWE-77, improper neutralization of special elements used in a command (command injection), meaning user-supplied input reaches a shell or command-execution sink without adequate escaping or argument validation. Cisco Nexus Dashboard is the centralized management, orchestration, and visibility platform used to operate Nexus data center fabrics and multi-site deployments, so compromising it can yield control over managed infrastructure. The CVSS vector indicates network reachability (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and privileges required (PR:L) - an authenticated, low-privilege user is the entry condition. Scope:Changed (S:C) is notable because it signals that successful exploitation can impact resources beyond the vulnerable component's own security authority, i.e., lateral movement or command execution in the context of the underlying system rather than being contained within the application. The affected CPE, cpe:2.3:a:cisco:cisco_nexus_dashboard:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, is a version wildcard, so all shipped versions should be treated as potentially affected pending the advisory's fixed-release mapping; no specific non-default configuration or feature toggle is enumerated in the hardening advisory.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Authenticated (PR:L) network command injection yielding OS-level execution justifies C:H/I:H/A:H; S:C is defensible as Nexus Dashboard orchestrates and impacts the managed fabric beyond the vulnerable component.
Primary rating from Vendor (cisco).
CVSS VectorVendor: cisco
DescriptionCVE.org
As part of Cisco's ongoing commitment to proactive security and product quality, the Cisco Nexus Dashboard engineering team has conducted a comprehensive internal security review. This review resulted in a software hardening release that addresses multiple internally discovered vulnerabilities.
The vulnerabilities tracked by CVE-2026-20325 are related to improper neutralization of special elements used in a command issue that are grouped under the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) CWE-77.
Executive ViewAI
Cisco Nexus Dashboard is affected by CVE-2026-20325, a critical command-injection flaw that allows an authenticated attacker with low-privilege credentials to execute arbitrary commands on the management platform, potentially compromising data center network confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No public exploit identified at time of analysis and no confirmed actively exploited (CISA KEV) activity, but no vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis, leaving a central management system exposed until Cisco guidance is applied. Leadership should prioritize exposure reduction and emergency patching because compromise could disrupt or grant control over critical network infrastructure.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations include restricting management interface access to trusted networks, enforcing MFA and least privilege, disabling unused low-privilege accounts, segmenting Nexus Dashboard from production traffic, enabling detailed logging and monitoring for command-injection activity, and consulting Cisco advisory cisco-sa-hardening-ndw1-psFvnrg for fixed-release guidance.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
OS command injection occurs when an application passes unsanitized user input directly into system shell commands.
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NVD
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EPSS
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