How severe is CVE-2019-1592?

CVE-2019-1592 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-1592 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (27th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-1592?

CVE-2019-1592 affects Cisco Nx-os. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-1592?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2019-1592 published?

CVE-2019-1592 was published on 2019-05-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-1592

CVE-2019-1592 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Nx-os with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (27th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Cisco Nx-os
Published: 2019-05-03
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the background operations functionality of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Mode Switch Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain elevated privileges as root on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied files on an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the CLI of the affected device and creating a crafted file in a specific directory on the filesystem. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands as root on an affected device.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-1592?: A vulnerability in the background operations functionality of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Mode Switch Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain elevated privileges as root on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied files on an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by logging in to the CLI of the affected device and creating a crafted file in a specific directory on the filesystem. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands as root on an affected device.
How severe is CVE-2019-1592?: CVE-2019-1592 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-1592 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (27th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-1592?: CVE-2019-1592 affects Cisco Nx-os. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-1592?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2019-1592 published?: CVE-2019-1592 was published on 2019-05-03 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20190501-aci-hw-clock-util

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:cisco:nx-os:14.1\(0.90\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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