Critical Cisco NX-OS Flaws Allow Malicious Command Injection by Attackers

Cisco has revealed a new high-risk vulnerability affecting its widely deployed NX-OS Software, warning that attackers with valid credentials could exploit the flaw to inject commands into the underlying operating system.

The issue results from inadequate validation of user-supplied input on the command-line interface of affected devices.

A Serious Vulnerability in Cisco’s Data Center Lineup

By manipulating arguments given to CLI commands, a local and authenticated attacker could execute crafted instructions on the operating system with the privileges of a non-root account.

While root privileges are not granted, the exploit could provide significant control, including the ability to read and write files according to the permissions of that non-root account.

Such access raises the risk of lateral movement, persistence, or tampering inside data center networks where Cisco’s switching platforms are heavily used. Importantly, there are no workarounds available, leaving system administrators dependent on Cisco’s software updates to secure their equipment.

Products at Risk and Security Advisory Details

Cisco’s advisory highlights that the vulnerability affects a broad range of products crucial to enterprise and data center networking.

The affected devices include the MDS 9000 Series Multilayer Switches, Nexus 1000 Virtual Edge for VMware environments, and nearly the entire Nexus switch family covering the 3000, 5000, 6000, 7000, and 9000 Series models.

Both standalone NX-OS deployments and switches operating in ACI mode are impacted. The UCS 6400 and 6500 Series Fabric Interconnects, along with the UCS X-Series Direct Fabric Interconnect 9108 100G, are also vulnerable.

Cisco has clarified that its Firepower appliances, Secure Firewall series, and the UCS 6300 interconnects are unaffected. According to Cisco’s release schedule, patches are already available with designated fixed releases for each vulnerable platform.

Administrators are advised to consult the Cisco Software Checker to confirm affected versions and identify the earliest available patch level. For example, UCS 6400 and 6500 platforms require upgrades to release 4.2(3p) or later.

Response and Industry Implications

Cisco’s Product Security Incident Response Team stated that there are no known cases of active exploitation or public disclosure of the vulnerability at this stage.

The flaw was discovered during internal security testing, which has allowed Cisco to deliver patches before attackers could leverage it in the wild.

Nevertheless, the opportunity for misuse is significant in environments where insider threats or compromised credentials exist, since tapping into a vulnerable CLI could enable staged attacks within a protected data center.

The advisory is part of the company’s semiannual FXOS and NX-OS bundled publication, reinforcing Cisco’s practice of releasing grouped updates for critical infrastructure products twice a year.

For enterprises operating at scale, the guidance is clear: apply the updates at the earliest opportunity, confirm hardware readiness for the fixes, and align with Cisco’s recommended release documentation to maintain both security and operational stability.

Prompt action now may prevent attackers from exploiting this latent weakness in some of the network industry’s most essential switching platforms.

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