CVE-2021-1383Public exploit

Root shell access via CLI parameter injection

Published Mar 24, 2021 · Updated Nov 8, 2024

Parameter injection in the Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN CLI allows local administrative users to obtain an unrestricted root shell. The request platform software sdwan shell command passes an unvalidated username containing spaces and dashes to confd_cli, allowing injected group arguments to select sdwan-oper and expose the normally unavailable vshell command. Administrative CLI authentication and an affected standalone release or universal IOS XE release in Controller mode are required; successful exploitation grants unrestricted access to the underlying operating system.

CVSS severity6.0
Medium
EPSS probability0.59%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Parameter injection in the Cisco IOS XE SD-WAN CLI allows local administrative users to obtain an unrestricted root shell. The request platform software sdwan shell command passes an unvalidated username containing spaces and dashes to confd_cli, allowing injected group arguments to select sdwan-oper and expose the normally unavailable vshell command. Administrative CLI authentication and an affected standalone release or universal IOS XE release in Controller mode are required; successful exploitation grants unrestricted access to the underlying operating system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1383
Published
Mar 24, 2021
Updated
Nov 8, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco IOS XE Software
Classifications
CWE-88, CWE-20, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 24, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 8, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=n/a

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco IOS XE Softwareversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.0Cisco Systems, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N/E:X/RL:X/RC:X

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-88Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')
CWE-20Improper Input Validation
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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