CVE-2023-20115

A vulnerability in the SFTP server implementation for Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches and 9000 Series Switches in standalone NX-OS mode could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to download or overwrite files from the underlying operating system of an affected device. This vulnerability is due to a logic error when verifying the user role when an SFTP connection is opened to an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by connecting and authenticating via SFTP as a valid, non-administrator user. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read or overwrite files from the underlying operating system with the privileges of the authenticated user. There are workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Published: 2023-08-23 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2023-20115 is rated Moderate Risk (44.2/100): CVSS Medium severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.46%). Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-20115

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-05-18 0.31% 0.46% +0.15%
2 2025-11-21 0.17% 0.31% +0.14%
3 2025-11-18 — 0.17% —

Full EPSS history (6 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-20115

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
5.4 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
 2.8 2.5 [email protected]
5.4 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:L)
Some sensitive info could get out, but not a total data dump.
Integrity (I:L)
Attackers could change some data, but it’s limited—not everything goes.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
 2.8 2.5 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-20115

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-20115

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
cisco nx-os 9.2\(1\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.2\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.2\(2\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.2\(2\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.2\(2t\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.2\(2t\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.2\(2v\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.2\(2v\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.2\(3\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.2\(3\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.2\(4\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.2\(4\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(1\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(2\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(2\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(3\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(3\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(4\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(4\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(5\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(5\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(6\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(6\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(7\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(7\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(7a\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(7a\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(8\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(8\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(9\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(9\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(10\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(10\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 9.3\(11\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:9.3\(11\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.1\(1\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.1\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.1\(2\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.1\(2\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.1\(2t\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.1\(2t\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.2\(1\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.2\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.2\(1q\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.2\(1q\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.2\(2\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.2\(2\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.2\(3\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.2\(3\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.2\(3t\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.2\(3t\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.2\(4\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.2\(4\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.2\(5\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.2\(5\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.3\(1\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.3\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cisco nx-os 10.3\(2\) cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:10.3\(2\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2023-20115

cvelogic Threat Intelligence