Cisco Intersight Device Connector for Prism…: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
CVE-2026-5944 is a high-severity missing authentication for critical functionality vulnerability in Cisco Intersight Device Connector for Prism Central from Nutanix, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.2 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists version 7.5.1 as the first without the flaw, so updating Cisco Intersight Device Connector for Prism Central to that release or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.53% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Cisco Intersight Device Connector for Prism Central to 7.5.1 or a later version.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutanix | Cisco Intersight Device Connector for Prism Central | 4.3.0 up to, but not including, 7.5.1 | 7.5.1 |
| Cisco | Intersight Device Connector | 4.3.0 through 7.5.0 | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- LowSome restricted data can be read.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 6.7 | Medium | CNA |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.2 | High | CNA |
| CVSS 2.0 | 8.5 | High | CNA |
Official description
An improper access control vulnerability exists in the Cisco Intersight Device Connector for Nutanix Prism Central. The service exposes an API passthrough endpoint on TCP port 7373 that is accessible within the network scope of the deployment environment without authentication. An unauthenticated attacker with network access can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted requests to the exposed endpoint to enumerate cluster metadata, including virtual machine information and cluster configuration details. While the API primarily supports read-only operations, it also allows certain cluster maintenance workflows to be invoked. Although this vulnerability does not allow persistent modification of system configurations or access to credentials or sensitive user data, successful exploitation may result in disruption of active workloads, leading to loss of service availability within the affected environment.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality
The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, consider using libraries with authentication capabilities such as OpenSSL or the ESAPI Authenticator.
- When storing data in the cloud (e.g., S3 buckets, Azure blobs, Google Cloud Storage, etc.), use the provider's controls to require strong authentication for users who should be allowed to access the data.
More Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities (CWE-306)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Third-party and government advisories
- download.nutanix.com/alerts/Security_Advisory_0046.pdfThird Party Advisory
- portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/list?type=software&filterKey=software&filterVal=PrismProduct, Third Party Advisory
- nutanix.com/supportProduct, Third Party Advisory
Recent Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality vulnerabilities
- 9.4 Critical severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.8 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
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