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CVE-2021-1228

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches ACI Mode Fabric Infrastructure VLAN Unauthorized Access Vulnerability

7.4 High

A vulnerability in the fabric infrastructure VLAN connection establishment of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Mode could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to bypass security validations and connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN. This vulnerability is due to insufficient security requirements during the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) setup phase of the infrastructure VLAN. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted LLDP packet on the adjacent subnet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN, which is highly privileged. With a connection to the infrastructure VLAN, the attacker can make unauthorized connections to Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) services or join other host endpoints.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Adjacent network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.39%Unchanged since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used7.4

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches ACI Mode Fabric Infrastructure VLAN Unauthorized Access Vulnerability

A vulnerability in the fabric infrastructure VLAN connection establishment of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Mode could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to bypass security validations and connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN. This vulnerability is due to insufficient security requirements during the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) setup phase of the infrastructure VLAN. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted LLDP packet on the adjacent subnet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN, which is highly privileged. With a connection to the infrastructure VLAN, the attacker can make unauthorized connections to Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) services or join other host endpoints.

Record
CVE-2021-1228
CVSS 3.1
7.4 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-284
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-66957.4

A vulnerability in the fabric infrastructure VLAN connection establishment of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Mode could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to bypass security validations and connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN. This vulnerability is due to insufficient security requirements during the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) setup phase of the infrastructure VLAN. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted LLDP packet on the adjacent subnet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN, which is highly privileged. With a connection to the infrastructure VLAN, the attacker can make unauthorized connections to Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) services or join other host endpoints.

Record
EUVD-2021-6695
CVSS 3.1
7.4 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-mjqq-xhvr-c2mf6.5

A vulnerability in the fabric infrastructure VLAN connection establishment of Cisco Nexus 9000...

A vulnerability in the fabric infrastructure VLAN connection establishment of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Mode could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to bypass security validations and connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN. This vulnerability is due to insufficient security requirements during the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) setup phase of the infrastructure VLAN. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted LLDP packet on the adjacent subnet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN, which is highly privileged. With a connection to the infrastructure VLAN, the attacker can make unauthorized connections to Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) services or join other host endpoints.

Record
GHSA-mjqq-xhvr-c2mf
CVSS 3.1
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-284
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD7.4

A vulnerability in the fabric infrastructure VLAN connection establishment of Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Fabric Switches in Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) Mode could allow an unauthenticated, adjacent attacker to bypass security validations and connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN. This vulnerability is due to insufficient security requirements during the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) setup phase of the infrastructure VLAN. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a crafted LLDP packet on the adjacent subnet to an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to connect an unauthorized server to the infrastructure VLAN, which is highly privileged. With a connection to the infrastructure VLAN, the attacker can make unauthorized connections to Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) services or join other host endpoints.

Record
CVE-2021-1228
CVSS 3.1
7.4 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS 3.1
6.5 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
CVSS 2.0
3.3 LowAV:A/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
Weakness
CWE-284
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
facts
aliases, publishedEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2021-1228 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.4) in Cisco Nx-os System Software In Aci Mode 11.0(1b), published February 24, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.39%, the 33rd percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

MoveEnter Open