VYPR
Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published Mar 24, 2021· Updated Nov 8, 2024

Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

CVE-2021-1281

Description

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.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

A privilege escalation vulnerability in CLI management of Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software allows authenticated local attackers to gain root access.

Vulnerability

A vulnerability in the CLI management of Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to access the underlying operating system as the root user [1]. The issue is due to improper handling of concurrent CLI sessions. This affects devices running Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN Software; specific affected versions are detailed in the Cisco advisory [1].

Exploitation

An attacker must first authenticate to the device as an administrative user. The attacker can then exploit the vulnerability by initiating concurrent CLI sessions and executing a specific sequence of commands [1]. This sequence triggers the flaw that allows escalation to root privileges.

Impact

Successful exploitation provides the attacker with root access to the underlying operating system [1]. This gives full control over the device, including the ability to modify configuration, access sensitive data, and potentially pivot to other network devices.

Mitigation

Cisco has released software updates to address this vulnerability [1]. Affected users should upgrade to the fixed versions indicated in the Cisco Security Advisory. No workarounds are available [1]. Customers can use the Cisco Software Checker to identify affected releases and the appropriate fix.

AI Insight generated on May 26, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.

Affected products

2

Patches

0

No patches discovered yet.

Vulnerability mechanics

AI mechanics synthesis has not run for this CVE yet.

References

1

News mentions

0

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