Summary

• 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.

  Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

  This advisory is available at the following link:
  https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ndfc-shkv-snQJtjrp

Affected Products

• Vulnerable Products

  This vulnerability affects Cisco NDFC, regardless of device configuration.

  Note: Cisco NDFC releases 11.5 and earlier were known as Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM).

  For information about which Cisco software releases are vulnerable, see the Fixed Software section of this advisory.

  Products Confirmed Not Vulnerable

  Only products listed in the Vulnerable Products section of this advisory are known to be affected by this vulnerability.

  Cisco has confirmed that this vulnerability does not affect the following Cisco products:

  • Nexus Dashboard Insights
    
  • Nexus Dashboard Orchestrator (NDO)

Workarounds

• There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Fixed Software

• Cisco has released free software updates that address the vulnerability described in this advisory. Customers with service contracts that entitle them to regular software updates should obtain security fixes through their usual update channels.

  Customers may only install and expect support for software versions and feature sets for which they have purchased a license. By installing, downloading, accessing, or otherwise using such software upgrades, customers agree to follow the terms of the Cisco software license:
  https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/end-user-license-agreement.html

  Additionally, customers may only download software for which they have a valid license, procured from Cisco directly, or through a Cisco authorized reseller or partner. In most cases this will be a maintenance upgrade to software that was previously purchased. Free security software updates do not entitle customers to a new software license, additional software feature sets, or major revision upgrades.

  The Cisco Support and Downloads page on Cisco.com provides information about licensing and downloads. This page can also display customer device support coverage for customers who use the My Devices tool.

  When considering software upgrades, customers are advised to regularly consult the advisories for Cisco products, which are available from the Cisco Security Advisories page, to determine exposure and a complete upgrade solution.

  In all cases, customers should ensure that the devices to be upgraded contain sufficient memory and confirm that current hardware and software configurations will continue to be supported properly by the new release. If the information is not clear, customers are advised to contact the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) or their contracted maintenance providers.

  Customers Without Service Contracts

  Customers who purchase directly from Cisco but do not hold a Cisco service contract and customers who make purchases through third-party vendors but are unsuccessful in obtaining fixed software through their point of sale should obtain upgrades by contacting the Cisco TAC: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/web/tsd-cisco-worldwide-contacts.html

  Customers should have the product serial number available and be prepared to provide the URL of this advisory as evidence of entitlement to a free upgrade.

  Fixed Releases

  In the following table, the left column lists Cisco software releases. The right column indicates whether a release is affected by the vulnerability that is described in this advisory and the first release that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Customers are advised to upgrade to an appropriate fixed software release as indicated in this section.

  Cisco Nexus Dashboard Release	First Fixed Release
  3.1	Migrate to a fixed release.
  3.2	3.2(2f)

  Note: Starting with Cisco Nexus Dashboard Release 3.1(1k), Cisco NDFC is distributed in Cisco Nexus Dashboard unified releases. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Release 3.2(2f) includes Cisco NDFC Release 12.2.3, which includes a fix for this vulnerability. All Cisco NDFC releases earlier than Release 12.2.3 are affected by this vulnerability and will require migration to an appropriate fixed Cisco Nexus Dashboard release as indicated in the preceding table.

  Note: The fix for this vulnerability is a new SSH host key verification feature, which is disabled by default so it will be backward compatible with current functionality. For more information, see the SSH Host Key Mismatch section of the Overview and Initial Setup of Cisco NDFC document. In future Cisco Nexus Dashboard releases, this feature is planned to be enabled by default and may have additional configuration settings. For more information, see release-specific configuration guides. 

  The Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) validates only the affected and fixed release information that is documented in this advisory.

Exploitation and Public Announcements

• The Cisco PSIRT is not aware of any public announcements or malicious use of the vulnerability that is described in this advisory.

Source

• Cisco would like to thank Harm Blankers, Jasper Westerman, and Yanick de Pater of REQON B.V. for reporting this vulnerability.

URL

• https://sec.cloudapps.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-ndfc-shkv-snQJtjrp

Revision History

• Version	Description	Section	Status	Date
  1.0	Initial public release.	—	Final	2025-JUN-04

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