VulnerabilityPublished 13 Nov 2025

CVE-2025-20353: Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center (DNA Center) · Cross-site Scripting

Affects Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center (DNA Center)Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.1 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.1Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 15% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: Required: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires a user to take some action before the vulnerability can be exploited.
Scope: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 13 Nov 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Cisco Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center (DNA Center)	Affected 2.1.1.0 – 2.3.7.9-AIRGAP 74 affected builds	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Apply Cisco's official patches and updates for DNA Center as soon as they are released to remediate the vulnerability.
Restrict access to the DNA Center management interface to trusted networks and users only, using network segmentation, VPNs, or firewall rules to limit exposure.
Implement strong user awareness training focused on recognizing phishing attempts and avoiding clicking on suspicious links, especially for personnel with access to network management tools.
Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) or intrusion prevention systems (IPS) that can detect and block XSS attack patterns targeting the management interface.
Monitor logs and network traffic for unusual activity related to the DNA Center interface, including unexpected requests or anomalous user behavior.
Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for access to the management interface to reduce risk from compromised credentials, even though this vulnerability does not require authentication for exploitation.
Regularly review and audit user permissions within DNA Center to ensure least privilege principles are applied, minimizing potential damage from compromised sessions.
Consider isolating the management interface on a dedicated management VLAN or network segment to reduce attack surface.
Stay informed on Cisco security advisories and threat intelligence updates related to DNA Center vulnerabilities.
Test and validate patch deployments in controlled environments before production rollout to avoid operational disruptions.

Description

CVE-2025-20353 is a medium severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center's web-based management interface. It allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to craft malicious links that, when clicked by a user, execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the affected interface. This can lead to theft of sensitive browser-based information or unauthorized actions within the interface. The vulnerability arises from improper input validation during web page generation. It affects numerous versions of Cisco DNA Center, a widely deployed network management platform. Exploitation requires user interaction but no authentication, increasing risk in environments where users access the interface regularly. No known public exploits exist yet. European organizations using Cisco DNA Center for network management could face confidentiality and integrity risks. Mitigation involves applying vendor patches once available, restricting access to the management interface, and educating users to avoid clicking suspicious links. Countries with large Cisco enterprise deployments and critical infrastructure networks are most at risk.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-20353 can be significant due to the critical role Cisco DNA Center plays in managing network infrastructure. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive network management functions, disclosure of confidential configuration data, and potential manipulation of network devices. This undermines the confidentiality and integrity of network operations, potentially causing operational disruptions or facilitating further attacks such as lateral movement or data exfiltration. Given that the vulnerability requires user interaction but no authentication, phishing or social engineering campaigns targeting network administrators or operators could be effective. Organizations in sectors with stringent regulatory requirements for data protection and network security, such as finance, healthcare, energy, and government, may face compliance risks and reputational damage if exploited. The broad range of affected versions indicates that many deployments could be vulnerable, especially if patching is delayed. While availability impact is not directly indicated, compromised management interfaces could indirectly affect network stability. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as exploit code could emerge. Overall, European enterprises relying on Cisco DNA Center must consider this vulnerability a medium-level risk with potential for serious consequences if exploited.

References

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-dnac-xss-weXtVZ59 (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 20 Nov 2025, 17:17 UTC

Technical details

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