Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2019-12717 lets a logged-in Cisco NX-OS administrator abuse a virtualization manager CLI command to run operating-system commands as root. It is not a remote unauthenticated issue, but compromise by a malicious or stolen admin account could fully control the device.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted infrastructure risk, not an internet-wide emergency. Prioritize affected NX-OS devices that are business-critical or have broad administrative access, because successful exploitation can lead to root-level device compromise.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-78 command injection in argument validation for a VMAN-related NX-OS CLI command. Cisco and CVE describe local attack vector, low complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. The bundle names Cisco NX-OS Software 5.0(3)A1(1).
Likely exposure
Exposure is most relevant to organizations with Cisco NX-OS devices running the named affected release and where administrator CLI access exists. The source bundle does not identify other affected releases or platforms.
Exploitation context
The source bundle says exploitation requires valid administrator credentials and local access to the affected CLI command. KEV is false, and the provided sources do not claim active exploitation or public weaponization.
Researcher notes
The evidence supports command injection with root impact but does not provide safe verification details, fixed-version data, or exploit-in-the-wild evidence. Avoid assuming broader NX-OS exposure beyond the versions named in the provided bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Check Cisco’s advisory for fixed releases and supported upgrade guidance.
- Inventory NX-OS devices for Cisco NX-OS Software 5.0(3)A1(1).
- Restrict administrator access to trusted personnel and managed administration paths.
- Review and remove stale, shared, or unnecessary administrator accounts.
- Monitor Cisco guidance for any updated remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether any NX-OS device runs the named affected version.
- Verify who has administrator CLI access to those devices.
- Review administrative logs for unexpected VMAN-related CLI activity.
- Check for unexplained Linux-level changes on affected devices where visibility exists.
- Document remediation status against the Cisco advisory.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-78: Command execution behavior lookup
Command injection weaknesses can lead defenders to review execution techniques and command interpreter telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2019-12717 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.7 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H0.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
6.7MediumVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20190925 Cisco NX-OS Software Virtualization Manager Command Injection VulnerabilityCVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_CISCO
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
