CVE-2020-3538
Cisco Data Center Network Manager Path Traversal Vulnerability
A vulnerability in a certain REST API endpoint of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform a path traversal attack on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient path restriction enforcement. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to overwrite or list arbitrary files on the affected device.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Cisco Data Center Network Manager Path Traversal Vulnerability
A vulnerability in a certain REST API endpoint of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform a path traversal attack on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient path restriction enforcement. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to overwrite or list arbitrary files on the affected device.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2020-3538- CVSS 3.1
- 4.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N/RL:X/RC:X/E:X - Weakness
- CWE-20
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-24809
A vulnerability in a certain REST API endpoint of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform a path traversal attack on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient path restriction enforcement. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to overwrite or list arbitrary files on the affected device.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
- Record
EUVD-2020-24809- CVSS 3.1
- 4.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N/RL:X/RC:X/E:X - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-hgrp-6mh3-jm92
A vulnerability in a certain REST API endpoint of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM)...
A vulnerability in a certain REST API endpoint of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform a path traversal attack on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient path restriction enforcement. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to overwrite or list arbitrary files on the affected device.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
- Record
GHSA-hgrp-6mh3-jm92- CVSS 3.1
- 4.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20, CWE-22
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
A vulnerability in a certain REST API endpoint of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform a path traversal attack on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient path restriction enforcement. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to overwrite or list arbitrary files on the affected device.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.
- Record
CVE-2020-3538- CVSS 3.1
- 4.6 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - CVSS 3.1
- 8.1 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-20, CWE-22
- 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-2020-3538 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 4.6) in Cisco Data Center Network Manager, published November 18, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.53%, the 45th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-dcnm-pa-trav-bMdfSTTq
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3538
github.com/advisories/GHSA-hgrp-6mh3-jm92