CVE-2020-3521
Cisco Data Center Network Manager Read File Path Traversal Vulnerability
A vulnerability in a specific REST API of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct directory traversal attacks on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input to the API. An attacker with a low-privileged account could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary files on the affected system.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.3
Cisco Data Center Network Manager Read File Path Traversal Vulnerability
A vulnerability in a specific REST API of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct directory traversal attacks on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input to the API. An attacker with a low-privileged account could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary files on the affected system.
- Record
CVE-2020-3521- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-24792
5.3
A vulnerability in a specific REST API of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct directory traversal attacks on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input to the API. An attacker with a low-privileged account could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary files on the affected system.
- Record
EUVD-2020-24792- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-89j8-pfrr-r63r No score
A vulnerability in a specific REST API of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could...
A vulnerability in a specific REST API of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct directory traversal attacks on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input to the API. An attacker with a low-privileged account could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary files on the affected system.
- Record
GHSA-89j8-pfrr-r63r- Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
5.3
A vulnerability in a specific REST API of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct directory traversal attacks on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input to the API. An attacker with a low-privileged account could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted request to the API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary files on the affected system.
- Record
CVE-2020-3521- CVSS 3.1
- 5.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 4.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20
- 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-2020-3521 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.3) in Cisco Data Center Network Manager, published August 26, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.79%, the 78th percentile. No source names a fixed version.