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CVE-2022-20824

Cisco FXOS and NX-OS Software Cisco Discovery Protocol Denial of Service and Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability

8.8 High

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol feature of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper input validation of specific values that are within a Cisco Discovery Protocol message. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious Cisco Discovery Protocol packet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause the Cisco Discovery Protocol process to crash and restart multiple times, which would cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. Note: Cisco Discovery Protocol is a Layer 2 protocol. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must be in the same broadcast domain as the affected device (Layer 2 adjacent).

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Adjacent network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.40%Down 2.2 points since Aug 26, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 8.8

Cisco FXOS and NX-OS Software Cisco Discovery Protocol Denial of Service and Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol feature of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper input validation of specific values that are within a Cisco Discovery Protocol message. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious Cisco Discovery Protocol packet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause the Cisco Discovery Protocol process to crash and restart multiple times, which would cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. Note: Cisco Discovery Protocol is a Layer 2 protocol. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must be in the same broadcast domain as the affected device (Layer 2 adjacent).

Record
CVE-2022-20824
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-121
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2022-26074 8.8

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol feature of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper input validation of specific values that are within a Cisco Discovery Protocol message. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious Cisco Discovery Protocol packet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause the Cisco Discovery Protocol process to crash and restart multiple times, which would cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. Note: Cisco Discovery Protocol is a Layer 2 protocol. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must be in the same broadcast domain as the affected device (Layer 2 adjacent).

Record
EUVD-2022-26074
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-4h78-xq9p-vv4g 8.8

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol feature of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS...

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol feature of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper input validation of specific values that are within a Cisco Discovery Protocol message. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious Cisco Discovery Protocol packet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause the Cisco Discovery Protocol process to crash and restart multiple times, which would cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. Note: Cisco Discovery Protocol is a Layer 2 protocol. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must be in the same broadcast domain as the affected device (Layer 2 adjacent).

Record
GHSA-4h78-xq9p-vv4g
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-787
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 8.8

A vulnerability in the Cisco Discovery Protocol feature of Cisco FXOS Software and Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause a denial of service (DoS) condition on an affected device. This vulnerability is due to improper input validation of specific values that are within a Cisco Discovery Protocol message. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a malicious Cisco Discovery Protocol packet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges or cause the Cisco Discovery Protocol process to crash and restart multiple times, which would cause the affected device to reload, resulting in a DoS condition. Note: Cisco Discovery Protocol is a Layer 2 protocol. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must be in the same broadcast domain as the affected device (Layer 2 adjacent).

Record
CVE-2022-20824
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-121, CWE-787
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

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History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliases, publishedEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2022-20824 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Cisco Nx-os Software, published August 25, 2022. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.40%, the 34th percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

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