# CVE-2020-3394: Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

> An authenticated local attacker can gain full administrative privileges on Cisco Nexus switches by bypassing the enable password check.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Aug 2020
- **Updated:** 13 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fphj-3g9v-9h48

## What is CVE-2020-3394?

CVE-2020-3394 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Nx-Os, published on 27 Aug 2020. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the Enable Secret feature of Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches and Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches in standalone NX-OS mode could allow an authenticated, local attacker to issue the enable command and get full administrative privileges. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid credentials for the affected device. The vulnerability is due to a logic error in the implementation of the enable command. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the device and issuing the enable command. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain full administrative privileges without using the enable password. Note: The Enable Secret feature is disabled by default.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), CWE-285 (Improper Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-3394?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Nx-Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-3394?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-3394 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-3394 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3394 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Nx-Os

- [CVE-2024-20399](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-20399/): Cisco NX-OS Command Injection (medium 6.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-1361](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1361/): Cisco NX-OS Software Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Actions Vulnerability (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-0301](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0301/): Memory corruption in Cisco NX-OS unknown (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-1453](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1453/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-1341](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-1341/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-3394 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-3394 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Nx-Os, published on 27 Aug 2020. 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-2020-3394 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Nx-Os. 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-2020-3394/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3394/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-3394
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3394
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-3394

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3394/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.