# CVE-2020-3539: Cisco Data Center Network Manager Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

> Low-privileged attackers can view, modify, and delete administrative templates in Cisco DCNM due to missing authorization checks.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L/RL:X/RC:X/E:X`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 18 Nov 2024
- **Updated:** 18 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x9cp-m9m5-f8xr

## What is CVE-2020-3539?

CVE-2020-3539 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Cisco Data Center Network Manager, published on 18 Nov 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to view, modify, and delete data without proper authorization.
The vulnerability is due to a failure to limit access to resources that are intended for users with Administrator privileges. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by convincing a user to click a malicious URL. A successful exploit could allow a low-privileged attacker to list, view, create, edit, and delete templates in the same manner as a user with Administrator privileges.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-285 (Improper Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-3539?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Prime Data Center Network Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-3539?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-3539 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-3539 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3539 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Data Center Network Manager

- [CVE-2015-0666](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-0666/): Cisco Prime Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) Directory Traversal (high 7.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-5486](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-5486/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-5417](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5417/): Missing authorization in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2018-0258](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0258/): File upload in Cisco Prime File Upload Servlet (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-6639](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6639/): Missing authorization in Cisco Prime Data Center Network Manager Debug Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-3539 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-3539 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Cisco Data Center Network Manager, published on 18 Nov 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3539 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Data Center Network Manager. 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-2020-3539/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3539/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-3539
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3539
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-3539

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3539/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.