CVE-2020-3517
Cisco FXOS and NX-OS Software Cisco Fabric Services Denial of Service Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the Cisco Fabric Services component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause process crashes, which could result in a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The attack vector is configuration dependent and could be remote or adjacent. For more information about the attack vector, see the Details section of this advisory. The vulnerability is due to insufficient error handling when the affected software parses Cisco Fabric Services messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious Cisco Fabric Services messages to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a reload of an affected device, which could result in a DoS condition.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
8.6
Cisco FXOS and NX-OS Software Cisco Fabric Services Denial of Service Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the Cisco Fabric Services component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause process crashes, which could result in a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The attack vector is configuration dependent and could be remote or adjacent. For more information about the attack vector, see the Details section of this advisory. The vulnerability is due to insufficient error handling when the affected software parses Cisco Fabric Services messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious Cisco Fabric Services messages to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a reload of an affected device, which could result in a DoS condition.
- Record
CVE-2020-3517- CVSS 3.0
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-476
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-24788
8.6
A vulnerability in the Cisco Fabric Services component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause process crashes, which could result in a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The attack vector is configuration dependent and could be remote or adjacent. For more information about the attack vector, see the Details section of this advisory. The vulnerability is due to insufficient error handling when the affected software parses Cisco Fabric Services messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious Cisco Fabric Services messages to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a reload of an affected device, which could result in a DoS condition.
- Record
EUVD-2020-24788- CVSS 3.0
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8cw5-4pj3-6hp9
8.6
A vulnerability in the Cisco Fabric Services component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS...
A vulnerability in the Cisco Fabric Services component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause process crashes, which could result in a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The attack vector is configuration dependent and could be remote or adjacent. For more information about the attack vector, see the Details section of this advisory. The vulnerability is due to insufficient error handling when the affected software parses Cisco Fabric Services messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious Cisco Fabric Services messages to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a reload of an affected device, which could result in a DoS condition.
- Record
GHSA-8cw5-4pj3-6hp9- CVSS 3.1
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-476
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.6
A vulnerability in the Cisco Fabric Services component of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated attacker to cause process crashes, which could result in a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. The attack vector is configuration dependent and could be remote or adjacent. For more information about the attack vector, see the Details section of this advisory. The vulnerability is due to insufficient error handling when the affected software parses Cisco Fabric Services messages. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious Cisco Fabric Services messages to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to cause a reload of an affected device, which could result in a DoS condition.
- Record
CVE-2020-3517- CVSS 3.1
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 3.0
- 8.6 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.8 High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C - Weakness
- CWE-476
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-3517 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.6) in Cisco Nx-os Software, published August 27, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.38%, the 72nd percentile. No source names a fixed version.