# CVE-2020-3597: Cisco Nexus Data Broker Software Path Traversal Vulnerability

> An unauthenticated remote attacker can overwrite arbitrary files by tricking an administrator into restoring a crafted configuration backup file.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Oct 2020
- **Updated:** 13 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-v8pv-jvcc-3q6j

## What is CVE-2020-3597?

CVE-2020-3597 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Cisco Nexus Data Broker, published on 8 Oct 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the configuration restore feature of Cisco Nexus Data Broker software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to perform a directory traversal attack on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of configuration backup files. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading an administrator to restore a crafted configuration backup file. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to overwrite arbitrary files that are accessible through the affected software on an affected device.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-3597?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Nexus Data Broker.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-3597?

No fix has been published for CVE-2020-3597 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2020-3597 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3597 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-3597 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-3597 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Cisco Nexus Data Broker, published on 8 Oct 2020. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-3597 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Nexus Data Broker. 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-2020-3597/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3597/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-3597
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-3597
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-3597

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-3597/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.