CVE-2019-1731
Cisco NX-OS Software SSH Key Information Disclosure Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the SSH CLI key management functionality of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to expose a user's private SSH key to all authenticated users on the targeted device. The attacker must authenticate with valid administrator device credentials. The vulnerability is due to incomplete error handling if a specific error type occurs during the SSH key export. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and entering a crafted command at the CLI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to expose a user's private SSH key. In addition, a similar type of error in the SSH key import could cause the passphrase-protected private SSH key to be imported unintentionally.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.1
Cisco NX-OS Software SSH Key Information Disclosure Vulnerability
A vulnerability in the SSH CLI key management functionality of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to expose a user's private SSH key to all authenticated users on the targeted device. The attacker must authenticate with valid administrator device credentials. The vulnerability is due to incomplete error handling if a specific error type occurs during the SSH key export. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and entering a crafted command at the CLI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to expose a user's private SSH key. In addition, a similar type of error in the SSH key import could cause the passphrase-protected private SSH key to be imported unintentionally.
- Record
CVE-2019-1731- CVSS 3.0
- 5.1 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-10288
5.1
A vulnerability in the SSH CLI key management functionality of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to expose a user's private SSH key to all authenticated users on the targeted device. The attacker must authenticate with valid administrator device credentials. The vulnerability is due to incomplete error handling if a specific error type occurs during the SSH key export. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and entering a crafted command at the CLI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to expose a user's private SSH key. In addition, a similar type of error in the SSH key import could cause the passphrase-protected private SSH key to be imported unintentionally.
- Record
EUVD-2019-10288- CVSS 3.0
- 5.1 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-g6jr-fq7m-6v6x No score
A vulnerability in the SSH CLI key management functionality of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow...
A vulnerability in the SSH CLI key management functionality of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to expose a user's private SSH key to all authenticated users on the targeted device. The attacker must authenticate with valid administrator device credentials. The vulnerability is due to incomplete error handling if a specific error type occurs during the SSH key export. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and entering a crafted command at the CLI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to expose a user's private SSH key. In addition, a similar type of error in the SSH key import could cause the passphrase-protected private SSH key to be imported unintentionally.
- Record
GHSA-g6jr-fq7m-6v6x- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
4.4
A vulnerability in the SSH CLI key management functionality of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to expose a user's private SSH key to all authenticated users on the targeted device. The attacker must authenticate with valid administrator device credentials. The vulnerability is due to incomplete error handling if a specific error type occurs during the SSH key export. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and entering a crafted command at the CLI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to expose a user's private SSH key. In addition, a similar type of error in the SSH key import could cause the passphrase-protected private SSH key to be imported unintentionally.
- Record
CVE-2019-1731- CVSS 3.1
- 4.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 3.0
- 5.1 Medium
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 2.1 Low
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-755
- 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-2019-1731 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.1) in Cisco Nx-os Software, published May 15, 2019. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.36%, the 29th percentile. No source names a fixed version.