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CVE-2021-1390

Cisco IOS XE Software Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

5.1 Medium

A vulnerability in one of the diagnostic test CLI commands of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid user credentials at privilege level 15. This vulnerability exists because the affected software permits modification of the run-time memory of an affected device under specific circumstances. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the affected device and issuing a specific diagnostic test command at the CLI. A successful exploit could trigger a logic error in the code that was designed to restrict run-time memory modifications. The attacker could take advantage of this logic error to overwrite system memory locations and execute arbitrary code on the underlying Linux operating system (OS) of the affected device.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
High
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.34%Unchanged since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 5.1

Cisco IOS XE Software Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

A vulnerability in one of the diagnostic test CLI commands of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid user credentials at privilege level 15. This vulnerability exists because the affected software permits modification of the run-time memory of an affected device under specific circumstances. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the affected device and issuing a specific diagnostic test command at the CLI. A successful exploit could trigger a logic error in the code that was designed to restrict run-time memory modifications. The attacker could take advantage of this logic error to overwrite system memory locations and execute arbitrary code on the underlying Linux operating system (OS) of the affected device.

Record
CVE-2021-1390
CVSS 3.1
5.1 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
Weakness
CWE-123
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-6857 5.1

A vulnerability in one of the diagnostic test CLI commands of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid user credentials at privilege level 15. This vulnerability exists because the affected software permits modification of the run-time memory of an affected device under specific circumstances. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the affected device and issuing a specific diagnostic test command at the CLI. A successful exploit could trigger a logic error in the code that was designed to restrict run-time memory modifications. The attacker could take advantage of this logic error to overwrite system memory locations and execute arbitrary code on the underlying Linux operating system (OS) of the affected device.

Record
EUVD-2021-6857
CVSS 3.1
5.1 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-587f-4vmq-c6m5 No score

A vulnerability in one of the diagnostic test CLI commands of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow...

A vulnerability in one of the diagnostic test CLI commands of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid user credentials at privilege level 15. This vulnerability exists because the affected software permits modification of the run-time memory of an affected device under specific circumstances. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the affected device and issuing a specific diagnostic test command at the CLI. A successful exploit could trigger a logic error in the code that was designed to restrict run-time memory modifications. The attacker could take advantage of this logic error to overwrite system memory locations and execute arbitrary code on the underlying Linux operating system (OS) of the affected device.

Record
GHSA-587f-4vmq-c6m5
Weakness
CWE-123
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 5.1

A vulnerability in one of the diagnostic test CLI commands of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute arbitrary code on an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have valid user credentials at privilege level 15. This vulnerability exists because the affected software permits modification of the run-time memory of an affected device under specific circumstances. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the affected device and issuing a specific diagnostic test command at the CLI. A successful exploit could trigger a logic error in the code that was designed to restrict run-time memory modifications. The attacker could take advantage of this logic error to overwrite system memory locations and execute arbitrary code on the underlying Linux operating system (OS) of the affected device.

Record
CVE-2021-1390
CVSS 3.1
5.1 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
CVSS 3.1
6.7 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
7.2 HighAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Weakness
CWE-123
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

History

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

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

In short

CVE-2021-1390 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.1) in Cisco Ios Xe Software, published March 24, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.34%, the 27th percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

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