VulnerabilityPublished 1 Apr 2026

CVE-2026-20042: Cisco Nexus Dashboard · Improper Certificate Validation

Affects Cisco Nexus DashboardSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.5 Medium.

Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 11:52 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.5Medium

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

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 23% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: High
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
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: High: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide significant (e.g., administrative) control over the vulnerable component that could affect component-wide settings and files.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to 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 1 Apr 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 30 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.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), 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
CiscoCisco Nexus Dashboard	Affected 1.1(0c) – 4.1(1g) 40 affected builds	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Immediately restrict access to configuration backup files and ensure they are stored securely with strict access controls, preferably in encrypted storage with role-based access.
Enforce strong, unique encryption passwords for backup files and manage these passwords securely using enterprise-grade password management solutions.
Regularly audit backup file access logs and monitor for unauthorized attempts to access or copy backup files.
Limit administrative privileges to reduce the risk of backup file and password exposure.
Implement network segmentation to restrict access to Cisco Nexus Dashboard management interfaces and backup repositories.
Apply Cisco-provided patches or updates addressing this vulnerability as soon as they become available.
Consider additional encryption or obfuscation layers for backup files beyond the default mechanisms.
Educate network and security teams about the risks of backup file exposure and enforce strict operational security around backup handling.
Use multi-factor authentication for accessing Cisco Nexus Dashboard and related management systems to reduce the risk of credential compromise.
Monitor Cisco security advisories for updates or exploit reports related to this CVE.

Description

A vulnerability in the configuration backup feature of Cisco Nexus Dashboard could allow an attacker who has the encryption password and access to Full or Config-only backup files to access sensitive information. This vulnerability exists because authentication details are included in the encrypted backup files. An attacker with a valid backup file and encryption password from an affected device could decrypt the backup file. The attacker could then use the authentication details in the backup file to access internal-only APIs on the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system as the root user.

Impact

The primary impact of CVE-2026-20042 is the potential for an attacker to gain unauthorized access to sensitive authentication credentials stored within encrypted backup files. If exploited, this can lead to unauthorized access to internal APIs and full root-level command execution on the underlying operating system of the Cisco Nexus Dashboard device. This level of access could allow attackers to manipulate network configurations, disrupt network operations, exfiltrate sensitive data, or establish persistent footholds within enterprise network infrastructure. Given the critical role of Cisco Nexus Dashboard in managing data center networks and network fabrics, a successful exploit could severely compromise network integrity and confidentiality. The vulnerability does not directly affect availability, but the consequences of unauthorized control could indirectly disrupt services. Organizations with large-scale deployments of Cisco Nexus Dashboard are at risk of significant operational and reputational damage if attackers leverage this vulnerability. The requirement for possession of backup files and encryption passwords limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, especially if backup files are improperly stored or encryption passwords are weak or shared insecurely.

References

sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-nd-cbid-5YqkOSHu (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 1 Apr 2026, 18:56 UTC

Technical details

References

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