Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw affects Cisco Nexus 9000 fabric switches running ACI Mode software. A person who already has administrator access to the device could become the root user, giving full control of the switch operating system. It is serious, but the source evidence does not show remote unauthenticated access or active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority infrastructure hardening issue, especially for data-center networks. It is not described as internet-scale remote exploitation, but a compromised administrator account could become full device control.
Technical view
CVE-2019-1803 is a local privilege escalation in Cisco Nexus 9000 Series ACI Mode Switch Software. Overly permissive permissions on specific system files can let an authenticated local attacker with administrator credentials execute operating system commands as root. CVSS 3.0 score is 7.8 high.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to environments using Cisco Nexus 9000 Series fabric switches in ACI Mode. The provided source bundle does not specify affected software versions, so teams must verify versions against Cisco’s advisory and their switch inventory.
Exploitation context
The vulnerability requires valid administrator credentials and local access to the affected device. There is no KEV listing and no cited source in the bundle reporting active exploitation. Business impact is high if administrator accounts are compromised or misused.
Researcher notes
The key exposure condition is authenticated local administrative access on Cisco Nexus 9000 ACI Mode software. The source bundle lacks affected version ranges, fixed versions, and standalone workarounds, so validation should anchor on Cisco’s advisory rather than inferred product data.
Mitigation direction
- Review Cisco’s advisory for fixed software and upgrade guidance.
- Inventory Nexus 9000 switches running ACI Mode software.
- Restrict administrator access to trusted operators only.
- Remove unused local administrator accounts.
- Monitor privileged administration activity on affected switches.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Nexus 9000 switches are operating in ACI Mode.
- Compare installed NX-OS software versions with Cisco’s advisory.
- Review administrator account lists and recent access records.
- Check logs for unusual privileged activity after administrator logins.
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-264: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2019-1803 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20190501 Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches Application Centric Infrastructure Mode Root Privilege Escalation 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.
Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls
Permissions, Privileges, and Access Controls represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.