Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Cisco DNA Spaces Connector has a local command-injection flaw. A highly privileged authenticated local attacker could abuse a specific CLI command to run operating-system commands as root. This is not described as internet-exploitable, but it matters where Connector access is shared, weakly controlled, or reachable after another compromise.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority remediation item for Cisco DNA Spaces environments. It is not presented as remotely exploitable or actively exploited, but root-level impact means teams should prioritize it where Connector access is shared, poorly audited, or exposed to broader administrative groups.
Technical view
CVE-2019-15997 is CWE-20 insufficient input validation in Cisco DNA Spaces: Connector. The CVSS 3.0 vector is AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, score 6.7. Successful exploitation enables arbitrary OS command execution as root through malicious input to an affected CLI command.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations running Cisco DNA Spaces Connector. The provided CVE data does not identify exact affected versions. Risk is highest where local or CLI-level Connector access is available to multiple administrators, service accounts, or users who should not have root-equivalent capability.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not report active exploitation, and this CVE is not flagged as CISA KEV. Exploitation requires authenticated local access with high privileges, reducing broad external risk but creating serious post-authentication and insider-risk impact.
Researcher notes
Key gaps are affected version specificity and named fixes in the provided bundle. Validation should focus on confirming Connector presence, matching versions to Cisco guidance, and auditing local CLI access paths. Avoid assuming remote exploitability or public exploitation without additional cited evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Review Cisco advisory for affected and fixed Connector versions.
- Upgrade or patch according to Cisco’s official guidance.
- Restrict local and CLI access to trusted administrators only.
- Remove unnecessary Connector accounts and stale credentials.
- Monitor Connector hosts for unexpected root-level command execution.
Validation and detection
- Inventory all Cisco DNA Spaces Connector deployments.
- Confirm installed versions against Cisco’s advisory.
- Review who can access the Connector CLI locally.
- Check logs for suspicious CLI activity or root command execution.
- Verify least-privilege controls for administrative and service accounts.
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
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CWE-20: Exact CWE lookup
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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-2019-15997 mapping review
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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
- 20191120 Cisco DNA Spaces: Connector 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.