HIGH CVSS 8.7
Published: 2025-06-04

CVE-2025-20163

cisco nexus_dashboard Security Advisory (CVE-2025-20163)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
Seeking technical exploit breakdowns or verified PoC code for CVE-2025-20163?
🔬 Search Writeups & Exploit Archive →

CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2025-20163 impacting cisco nexus_dashboard. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.7 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
A vulnerability in the SSH implementation of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to impersonate Cisco NDFC-managed devices. This vulnerability is due to insufficient SSH host key validation. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by performing a machine-in-the-middle attack on SSH connections to Cisco NDFC-managed devices, which could allow an attacker to intercept this traffic. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to impersonate a managed device and capture user credentials.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Changed (S:C)
Impacts components beyond caller authority
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product cisco / nexus_dashboard
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-322

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2025-20163 impacting cisco nexus_dashboard.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2025-20163.yaml
id: cve-2025-20163

info:
  name: cisco nexus_dashboard - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2025-20163 affecting cisco nexus_dashboard.
    Evaluation: A vulnerability in the SSH implementation of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to imperso...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2025-20163
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
    cvss-score: 8.7
    cve-id: CVE-2025-20163
    cwe-id: CWE-322
  tags: cve,cve-2025-20163,cisco,nexus_dashboard,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "nexus_dashboard"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2025-20163.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2025-20163
# Target: cisco nexus_dashboard | CVSS: 8.7 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2025-20163 (cisco nexus_dashboard)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against cisco nexus_dashboard scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2025-20163.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2025-20163
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install nexus_dashboard 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade nexus_dashboard 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update nexus_dashboard

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i nexus_dashboard 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i nexus_dashboard

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2025-20163 in cisco nexus_dashboard?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update cisco nexus_dashboard packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2025-20163?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2025-20163?

CVE-2025-20163 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.7 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.7
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2025-20163
Weakness CWE-322
Vendor cisco
Product nexus_dashboard
Published 2025-06-04
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N