# CVE-2020-3454: Cisco NX-OS Software Call Home Command Injection Vulnerability

> Authenticated remote attackers can inject arbitrary commands with root privileges via Call Home HTTP configuration parameters in Cisco NX-OS.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/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:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Aug 2020
- **Updated:** 13 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m2wj-fv5g-v2xg

## What is CVE-2020-3454?

CVE-2020-3454 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Cisco Nx-Os, published on 27 Aug 2020. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the Call Home feature of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to inject arbitrary commands that could be executed with root privileges on the underlying operating system (OS). The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of specific Call Home configuration parameters when the software is configured for transport method HTTP. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by modifying parameters within the Call Home configuration on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges on the underlying OS.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-3454?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Nx-Os.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-3454?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-3454 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-3454 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3454 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-2020-3454 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-3454 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Cisco Nx-Os, published on 27 Aug 2020. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3454 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-2020-3454/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3454/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-3454
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3454
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-3454

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3454/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.