CVE-2020-3297
CWE-287Published: July 2, 2020· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
A vulnerability in session management for the web-based interface of Cisco Small Business Smart and Managed Switches could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to defeat authentication protections and gain unauthorized access to the management interface. The attacker could obtain the privileges of the highjacked session account, which could include administrator privileges on the device. The vulnerability is due to the use of weak entropy generation for session identifier values. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to determine a current session identifier through brute force and reuse that session identifier to take over an ongoing session. In this way, an attacker could take actions within the management interface with privileges up to the level of the administrative user.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2020-3297 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-287): Authentication bypass vulnerabilities allow attackers to access protected resources without valid credentials.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-287)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2020-3297 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts