Cisco NX-OS Command Injection Vulnerability
Cisco — Cisco NX-OS Software
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated user in possession of Administrator credentials to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of arguments that are passed to specific configuration CLI commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input as the argument of an affected configuration CLI command. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of root. Note: To successfully exploit this vulnerability on a Cisco NX-OS device, an attacker must have Administrator credentials. The following Cisco devices already allow administrative users to access the underlying operating system through the bash-shell feature, so, for these devices, this vulnerability does not grant any additional privileges: Nexus 3000 Series Switches Nexus 7000 Series Switches that are running Cisco NX-OS Software releases 8.1(1) and later Nexus 9000 Series Switches in standalone NX-OS mode
6.0
4.3%
Vector breakdown
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
- Published
- Jul 1, 2024
- Modified
- Oct 21, 2025
- Added to KEV
- Jul 2, 2024
- Federal patch due
- Jul 23, 2024
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Weakness classification
Proof-of-concept & exploitation references
Weaponization
Public repositories whose name or description references CVE-2024-20399, found via a live GitHub search at request time. These are community-sourced signals, not a verified working exploit - cross-check each one before relying on it, and treat higher star counts and recent activity as (weak) corroboration, not proof.
No public GitHub repositories referencing CVE-2024-20399 were found at last check. Absence here is not proof no exploit exists - see the references below for vendor advisories and write-ups.
References
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2024-20399?
A vulnerability in the CLI of Cisco NX-OS Software could allow an authenticated user in possession of Administrator credentials to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of arguments that are passed to specific configuration CLI commands. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by including crafted input as the argument of an affected configuration CLI command. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system with the privileges of root. Note: To successfully exploit this vulnerability on a Cisco NX-OS device, an attacker must have Administrator credentials. The following Cisco devices already allow administrative users to access the underlying operating system through the bash-shell feature, so, for these devices, this vulnerability does not grant any additional privileges: Nexus 3000 Series Switches Nexus 7000 Series Switches that are running Cisco NX-OS Software releases 8.1(1) and later Nexus 9000 Series Switches in standalone NX-OS mode
How severe is CVE-2024-20399?
CVE-2024-20399 has a CVSS base score of 6.0 out of 10 (CVSS 3.1).
Is CVE-2024-20399 actively exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2024-20399 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added Jul 2, 2024, meaning CISA has confirmed evidence of active exploitation.
What is the EPSS score for CVE-2024-20399?
4.3% - meaning FIRST.org's EPSS model estimates a 4.3% probability this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within 30 days (90% percentile among all scored CVEs).
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2024-20399?
CVE-2024-20399 is classified under CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')).
Cross-checked against
Impactr finds and proves whether CVE-2024-20399 - or flaws like it - are actually reachable in your own web apps and APIs, with a reproducible exploit as evidence.
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