CVE-2021-1281: Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Published Mar 24, 2021
·
Updated

A vulnerability in CLI management in Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to access the underlying operating system as the root user. This vulnerability is due to the way the software handles concurrent CLI sessions. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device as an administrative user and executing a sequence of commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to obtain access to the underlying operating system as the root user.

Affected Software

59 affected components
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.9.4
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1b
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1c
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1d
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1e
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1f
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1g
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.1s
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.10.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1b
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1c
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.1s
Cisco IOS XE=16.11.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1c
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1s
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1t
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1w
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1x
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1y
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1z
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.1za
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.2
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.2a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.2s
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.2t
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.3
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.3a
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.3s
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.4
Cisco IOS XE=16.12.4a
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.1s
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.1t
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.1.3
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.1r
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.1v
Cisco IOS XE=17.2.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.1w
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.2
Cisco IOS XE=17.3.2a
Cisco IOS XE=17.4.1
Cisco IOS XE=17.4.1a
Cisco IOS XE=17.4.1b

Event History

Mar 24, 2021
CVE Published
via MITRE·08:16 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·08:16 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2021-1281?

CVE-2021-1281 has a high severity rating due to its potential to allow authenticated local attackers to access the system as root.

2

How do I fix CVE-2021-1281?

To fix CVE-2021-1281, it is recommended to update to a patched version of Cisco IOS XE that addresses this vulnerability.

3

What versions of Cisco IOS XE are affected by CVE-2021-1281?

CVE-2021-1281 affects multiple versions of Cisco IOS XE including 16.9.x, 16.10.x, 16.11.x, 16.12.x, and 17.x series.

4

Who can exploit CVE-2021-1281?

Only authenticated local attackers can exploit CVE-2021-1281 to gain elevated privileges on affected systems.

5

What is the impact of exploiting CVE-2021-1281?

Exploiting CVE-2021-1281 can lead to unauthorized access to the underlying operating system of impacted devices.

Contact

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