Cisco NX-OS Software Unauthorized Filesystem Access Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the filesystem permissions of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain read and write access to a critical configuration file. The vulnerability is due to a failure to impose strict filesystem permissions on the targeted device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by accessing and modifying restricted files. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to use the content of this configuration file to bypass authentication and log in as any user of the device. MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches are affected in versions prior to 6.2(25), 8.1(1b), and 8.3(1). Nexus 3000 Series Switches are affected in versions prior to 7.0(3)I4(9) and 7.0(3)I7(4). Nexus 3500 Platform Switches are affected in versions prior to 6.0(2)A8(10) and 7.0(3)I7(4). Nexus 3600 Platform Switches are affected in versions prior to 7.0(3)F3(5). Nexus 2000, 5500, 5600, and 6000 Series Switches are affected in versions prior to 7.1(5)N1(1b) and 7.3(3)N1(1). Nexus 7000 and 7700 Series Switches are affected in versions prior to 6.2(22), 7.3(3)D1(1), and 8.2(3). Nexus 9000 Series Switches-Standalone are affected in versions prior to 7.0(3)I4(9) and 7.0(3)I7(4). Nexus 9500 R-Series Line Cards and Fabric Modules are affected in versions prior to 7.0(3)F3(5).
- Published
- Mar 8, 2019
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 31th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-284
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Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.4%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 7.8
- CNA · cisco
- 7.8
- agree
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| cisco | nx-os | cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os |
| cisco | mds 9000 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:mds_9000 |
| cisco | nexus 3500 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_3500 |
| cisco | nexus 3000 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_3000 |
| cisco | nexus 3600 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_3600 |
| cisco | nexus 9000 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_9000 |
| cisco | nexus 9500 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_9500 |
| cisco | nexus 7000 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_7000 |
| cisco | nexus 7700 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_7700 |
| cisco | nexus 2000 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_2000 |
| cisco | nexus 5500 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_5500 |
| cisco | nexus 5600 | cpe:2.3:h:cisco:nexus_5600 |
and 1 more
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- cisco nx-os8.2 and later · before 8.3\(1\)
- cisco nx-os7.0\(3\) and later · before 7.0\(3\)i7\(4\)
- cisco nx-os7.0\(3\)i5 and later · before 7.0\(3\)i7\(4\)
- cisco nx-os7.0\(3\)f3 and later · before 7.0\(3\)f3\(5\)
- cisco nx-os7.0\(3\)f1 and later · before 7.0\(3\)f3\(5\)
- cisco nx-os7.3 and later · before 8.1\(1b\)
- cisco nx-osbefore 6.2\(25\)
- cisco nx-osbefore 7.0\(3\)i4\(9\)
- cisco nx-os7.2 and later · before 7.3\(3\)d1\(1\)
- cisco nx-osbefore 6.2\(22\)
- cisco nx-osbefore 6.0\(2\)a8\(10\)
- cisco nx-os7.2 and later · before 7.3\(3\)n1\(1\)
- cisco nx-osbefore 7.1\(5\)n1\(1b\)
- cisco nx-os8.0 and later · before 8.1\(2\)
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (cisco). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Cisco MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches
- unspecified and later · before 6.2(25)affected
- unspecified and later · before 8.1(1b)affected
- unspecified and later · before 8.3(1)affected
Cisco Nexus 2000, 5500, 5600, and 6000 Series Switches
- unspecified and later · before 7.1(5)N1(1b)affected
- unspecified and later · before 7.3(3)N1(1)affected
Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches
- unspecified and later · before 7.0(3)I4(9)affected
- unspecified and later · before 7.0(3)I7(4)affected
Cisco Nexus 3500 Platform Switches
- unspecified and later · before 6.0(2)A8(10)affected
- unspecified and later · before 7.0(3)I7(4)affected
Cisco Nexus 3600 Platform Switches
- unspecified and later · before 7.0(3)F3(5)affected
Cisco Nexus 7000 and 7700 Series Switches
- unspecified and later · before 6.2(22)affected
- unspecified and later · before 7.3(3)D1(1)affected
- unspecified and later · before 8.2(3)affected
Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches-Standalone
- unspecified and later · before 7.0(3)I4(9)affected
- unspecified and later · before 7.0(3)I7(4)affected
Cisco Nexus 9500 R-Series Line Cards and Fabric Modules
- unspecified and later · before 7.0(3)F3(5)affected
Same product
cisco: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2024-20399Cisco NX-OS Software CLI Command Injection VulnerabilityKEV57Plan
- CVE-2018-0301A vulnerability in the NX-API feature of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to craft a packet to the manag44Plan
- CVE-2016-1453Buffer overflow in the Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV) GRE feature in Cisco NX-OS 5.0 through 7.3 on Nexus 7000 and 7700 devices allo41Plan
- CVE-2018-0310A vulnerability in the Cisco Fabric Services component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, remot40Plan
- CVE-2022-20650Cisco NX-OS Software NX-API Command Injection Vulnerability39Monitor
- CVE-2016-1341Cisco NX-OS 7.0(1)N1(1), 7.0(1)N1(3), and 7.0(4)N1(1) on Nexus 2000 Fabric Extender devices has a blank root password, which allows local us39Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-284 · Improper Access ControlCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Embedding Scripts within ScriptsCAPEC-19likelihood: High · High
- Malicious Logic InsertionCAPEC-441likelihood: Medium · High
- Modification of Windows Service ConfigurationCAPEC-478likelihood: Low · High
- Malicious Root CertificateCAPEC-479likelihood: Low · Low
- Intent SpoofCAPEC-502
- WebView ExposureCAPEC-503
- Data Injected During ConfigurationCAPEC-536likelihood: Low · High
- Incomplete Data Deletion in a Multi-Tenant EnvironmentCAPEC-546likelihood: Low · Medium
ATT&CK techniques
- RootkitT1014
- Obfuscated Files or Information: Embedded PayloadsT1027.009
- Boot or Logon Initialization ScriptsT1037
- Taint shared contentT1080
- Server Software Component: Terminal Services DLLT1505.005
- Pre-OS Boot:BootkitT1542.003
- Create or Modify System ProcessT1543
- Create or Modify System Process: Launch AgentT1543.001
- Create or Modify System Process:Windows ServiceT1543.003
- Create or Modify System Process: Launch DaemonT1543.004
- Event Triggered Execution:Change Default File AssociationT1546.001
- Event Triggered Execution:.bash_profile and .bashrcT1546.004
- Event Triggered Execution: Accessibility FeaturesT1546.008
- Event Triggered Execution: Installer PackagesT1546.016
- Boot or Logon Autostart ExecutionT1547
- Boot or Logon Autostart Execution:Kernel Modules and ExtensionsT1547.006
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/107404
- tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190306-nxos-file-access
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.