# CVE-2019-15996: Cisco DNA Spaces: Connector Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

> An authenticated local attacker can exploit insufficient CLI restrictions to modify sensitive files and execute arbitrary commands as root.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.7 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Nov 2019
- **Updated:** 20 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4gg2-9pqf-2qqx

## What is CVE-2019-15996?

CVE-2019-15996 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco DNA Spaces, published on 26 Nov 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in Cisco DNA Spaces: Connector could allow an authenticated, local attacker to elevate privileges and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system as root. The vulnerability is due to insufficient restrictions during the execution of an affected CLI command. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by leveraging the insufficient restrictions to modify sensitive files. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges and execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system as root.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-15996?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Dna Spaces\.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-15996?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-15996 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-15996 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-15996 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco DNA Spaces

- [CVE-2020-3586](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3586/): Cisco DNA Spaces Connector Command Injection Vulnerability (critical 9.4)
- [CVE-2019-15997](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15997/): Cisco DNA Spaces: Connector Command Injection Vulnerability (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2021-1559](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1559/): Cisco DNA Spaces Connector Command Injection Vulnerabilities (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2021-1560](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1560/): Cisco DNA Spaces Connector Command Injection Vulnerabilities (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2019-15995](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15995/): Cisco DNA Spaces: Connector SQL Injection Vulnerability (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-15996 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-15996 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco DNA Spaces, published on 26 Nov 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-15996 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco DNA Spaces. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15996/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15996/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-15996
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-15996
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-15996

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15996/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.