Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw affects Cisco Integrated Management Controller in Cisco UCS standalone environments. A remote unauthenticated attacker could potentially take full root-level control of the management controller through the API. Treat exposed management interfaces as high business risk because compromise can affect server administration and availability.
Executive priority
High priority for infrastructure teams. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote root-level code execution in a server management component. Systems with exposed IMC access should be addressed first, with leadership tracking remediation because management-plane compromise can undermine server control and recovery.
Technical view
Cisco describes multiple API subsystem buffer overflow vulnerabilities caused by improper boundary checks on user-supplied input. A crafted HTTP request to an affected IMC API could allow arbitrary code execution as root on the underlying OS. The supplied bundle does not include affected version ranges or fixed release details.
Likely exposure
Organizations using Cisco Unified Computing System in standalone mode may be exposed if the Cisco IMC API is reachable by attackers or untrusted networks. The source bundle does not provide version-level scope, so asset and release validation must use Cisco's advisory.
Exploitation context
The CVSS 3.1 score is 9.8: network-accessible, low complexity, no authentication, no user interaction, and high impact. The bundle marks CISA KEV as false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation, so active exploitation is not established here.
Researcher notes
The provided evidence supports unauthenticated remote root RCE via HTTP-triggered buffer overflow in the Cisco IMC API subsystem. Affected version and fixed-version details are not included in the bundle. Avoid assuming exploit availability or active exploitation without additional cited evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Use Cisco's advisory to confirm affected releases and fixed software guidance.
- Prioritize remediation for any internet-accessible or broadly reachable IMC interface.
- Restrict IMC API access to trusted management networks and administrators.
- Review management-plane firewall rules, VPN access, and segmentation controls.
- Monitor Cisco guidance for updated affected-version and remediation details.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Cisco UCS standalone systems and their IMC software or firmware versions.
- Compare discovered versions against Cisco's advisory for CVE-2020-3470.
- Check whether IMC API endpoints are reachable from untrusted networks.
- Review logs for unusual HTTP access to IMC management interfaces.
- Confirm compensating controls limit access to the management plane.
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-119: 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-2020-3470 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
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20201118 Cisco Integrated Management Controller Multiple Remote Code Execution VulnerabilitiesCVE 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 Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.