Security Resilience

CVE-2023-20059

Cisco Catalyst Center ≤ 2.3.3.7

Published
23 March 2023
Modified
23 July 2025
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 4.3
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0041 33th percentile
Risk Priority 37 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2023-20059 is a medium-severity J2EE Misconfiguration: Plaintext Password in Configuration File (CWE-555) vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst Center. Its CVSS base score is 4.3 (Medium).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked at the 33th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A06:2025 Insecure Design

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A vulnerability in the implementation of the Cisco Network Plug-and-Play (PnP) agent of Cisco DNA Center could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to view sensitive information in clear text. The attacker must have valid low-privileged user credentials. This vulnerability is…

more

due to improper role-based access control (RBAC) with the integration of PnP. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and sending a query to an internal API. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to view sensitive information in clear text, which could include configuration files.

CWE(s)
CWE-555CWE-312

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1001 Data Obfuscation Command And Control
Adversaries may obfuscate command and control traffic to make it more difficult to detect.
attack.mitre.org →
T1001.001 Junk Data Command And Control
Adversaries may add junk data to protocols used for command and control to make detection more difficult.
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.006 DCSync Credential Access
Adversaries may attempt to access credentials and other sensitive information by abusing a Windows Domain Controller's application programming interface (API)(Citation: Microsoft DRSR Dec 2017) (Citation: Microsoft GetNCCChanges) (Citati…
attack.mitre.org →
T1003.007 Proc Filesystem Credential Access
Adversaries may gather credentials from the proc filesystem or `/proc`.
attack.mitre.org →
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
attack.mitre.org →
T1006 Direct Volume Access Stealth
Adversaries may directly access a volume to bypass file access controls and file system monitoring.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-20350Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2023-20183Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2023-20184Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2025-20346Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2025-20210Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2025-20353Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2025-20349Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2025-20223Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2024-20333Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center
CVE-2023-20055Same product: Cisco Catalyst Center

Affected Assets

cisco
catalyst center
≤ 2.3.3.7 · 2.3.4.0 — 2.3.5.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 4 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V14.2.8

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

AT-3 Role-based Training
addresses: CWE-312

Training on secure data handling discourages cleartext storage of sensitive information.

CM-13 Data Action Mapping
addresses: CWE-312

Data action mapping can detect storage actions that leave sensitive information in cleartext.

CM-6 Configuration Settings
addresses: CWE-312

Configuration policies can mandate secure storage methods to avoid cleartext storage of sensitive information.

MP-1 Policy and Procedures
addresses: CWE-312

Policy requires protection measures such as encryption for sensitive data stored on media, preventing cleartext exposure.

SC-12 Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management
addresses: CWE-312

Key-management policy requires protected storage of key material, preventing cleartext storage of sensitive cryptographic keys.

SC-28 Protection of Information at Rest
addresses: CWE-312

Requiring confidentiality protection for information at rest eliminates cleartext storage of sensitive data on persistent media.

SC-38 Operations Security
addresses: CWE-312

Reduces cleartext storage of sensitive data when OPSEC identifies and mandates protection of key information artifacts.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.DS-01 partial match
blocks

Encrypting data-at-rest forces credentials in config files to be protected rather than plaintext.

PR.PS-01 partial match
blocks

Hardened configuration baselines and reviews directly prevent plaintext credential storage.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.5.17 Authentication information partial match
degrades

Requires secure handling and storage of authentication credentials, directly addressing plaintext passwords in config files.

A.8.12 Data leakage prevention partial match
finds

When clear-text sensitive data is detected leaving controlled storage, the control can block the transfer, thereby limiting the exposure that would result from unencrypted storage on external media or cloud services.

A.8.24 Use of cryptography partial match
blocks

A.8.24 requires proper use of cryptography (including for stored information per its guidance) but does not stop a J2EE config file from containing a plaintext password; the weakness remains present and exploitable until the password is removed from the file or the credential is replaced with a non-password mechanism.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
removes
A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
removes
A.8.5 Secure authentication partial match
degrades

Mandates secure authentication mechanisms, which includes protecting credentials from exposure in configuration files.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (higher-evidence rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
  • V-248525 All OL 8 local disk partitions must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of all information that requires at-rest protection. blocks CWE-312
Oracle Linux 9 (1 rule)
  • V-271756 OL 9 local disk partitions must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of all information that requires at rest protection. blocks CWE-312
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
  • V-230224 All RHEL 8 local disk partitions must implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure or modification of all information that requires at rest protection. blocks CWE-312

References