A vulnerability in the SFTP server implementation for Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches and 9000 Series Switches in standalone NX-OS mode…

Description

A vulnerability in the SFTP server implementation for Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches and 9000 Series Switches in standalone NX-OS mode could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to download or overwrite files from the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to a logic error when verifying the user role when an SFTP connection is opened to an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by connecting and authenticating via SFTP as a valid, non-administrator user. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read or overwrite files from the underlying operating system with the privileges of the authenticated user. There are workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Scores

EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)

0.58% · top 52% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial

The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.4.

Weakness

• CWE-671: Lack of Administrator Control over Security (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-671 and its CVEs

Affected products

• Cisco · Cisco NX-OS Software

  • affected 9.2(1)
  • affected 9.2(2)
  • affected 9.2(2t)
  • affected 9.2(3)
  • affected 9.2(4)
  • affected 9.2(2v)
  • affected 9.3(1)
  • affected 9.3(2)
  • affected 9.3(3)
  • affected 9.3(4)
  • affected 9.3(5)
  • affected 9.3(6)
  • affected 9.3(7)
  • affected 9.3(7a)
  • affected 9.3(8)
  • affected 9.3(9)
  • affected 9.3(10)
  • affected 9.3(11)
  • affected 10.1(1)
  • affected 10.1(2)
  • affected 10.1(2t)
  • affected 10.2(1)
  • affected 10.2(1q)
  • affected 10.2(2)
  • affected 10.2(3)
  • affected 10.2(3t)
  • affected 10.2(4)
  • affected 10.2(5)
  • affected 10.3(1)
  • affected 10.3(2)

What to do

Exploitation: The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory.

References (1)

• cisco-sa-nxos-sftp-xVAp5Hfd (opens in a new tab)x_transferred

Sources

The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.

• CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
• CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
• NVD (opens in a new tab)
• FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
• OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
• GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
• CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)

Badge for a README or a ticket

[![CVE-2023-20115](https://trackcve.app/badge/CVE-2023-20115.svg)](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2023-20115)

Record last updated 2 Oct 2024, 18:56 UTC.