Overview
CVE-2025-20341 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the Cisco Catalyst Center Virtual Appliance. This vulnerability could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate their privileges to Administrator on a vulnerable system. Exploitation allows unauthorized modifications, potentially including creating new user accounts or gaining complete control over the system.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied input within the Cisco Catalyst Center Virtual Appliance. Specifically, a crafted HTTP request can bypass security checks. An attacker possessing valid credentials for a user account with at least the “Observer” role can leverage this vulnerability to elevate their privileges. By submitting a specially crafted HTTP request, the attacker can manipulate internal system configurations and escalate their access to Administrator level.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a standardized way to assess the severity of security vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-20341 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.8 (HIGH).
- Base Score: 8.8
- Vector: AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
This high score reflects the potential for remote exploitation, the relatively low attack complexity, the requirement of only low privileges (Observer role), and the significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability upon successful exploitation.
Possible Impact
A successful exploit of CVE-2025-20341 can have severe consequences, including:
- Complete System Compromise: An attacker gaining Administrator privileges can fully control the Cisco Catalyst Center Virtual Appliance.
- Unauthorized Data Access: Sensitive data stored and managed by the appliance can be accessed and potentially exfiltrated.
- System Manipulation: Configuration changes, software installations, and other modifications can be made without authorization, disrupting network operations.
- Lateral Movement: The compromised Catalyst Center can be used as a launching point for attacks against other systems on the network.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
Cisco has released a security advisory addressing this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation is to upgrade your Cisco Catalyst Center Virtual Appliance to a fixed software release as soon as possible. Please refer to the official Cisco Security Advisory for the specific fixed versions.
- Identify Affected Systems: Determine which of your Cisco Catalyst Center Virtual Appliance deployments are running vulnerable software versions.
- Review Cisco Security Advisory: Consult the official Cisco Security Advisory for detailed information, including the specific fixed software releases.
- Plan and Execute Upgrade: Schedule a maintenance window to upgrade the affected systems to the recommended fixed software release. Follow Cisco’s recommended upgrade procedures.
- Verify Patch Installation: After the upgrade, verify that the patch has been successfully installed and that the vulnerability is no longer present.
- Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Continuously monitor your systems for any signs of suspicious activity that may indicate attempted or successful exploitation of this or other vulnerabilities.
