CVE-2021-1593

Privilege escalation via configuration-triggered DLL injection

Published Aug 4, 2021 · Updated Nov 7, 2024

DLL injection in Cisco Packet Tracer for Windows 7.3.1 and 8.0.0 allows local users to execute code with another user's privileges. At startup, the application handles a configuration file placed in a specific directory and loads a malicious DLL through an uncontrolled search path. Exploitation requires valid Windows credentials and application startup under another account, yielding that account's privileges.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.32%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

DLL injection in Cisco Packet Tracer for Windows 7.3.1 and 8.0.0 allows local users to execute code with another user's privileges. At startup, the application handles a configuration file placed in a specific directory and loads a malicious DLL through an uncontrolled search path. Exploitation requires valid Windows credentials and application startup under another account, yielding that account's privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1593
Published
Aug 4, 2021
Updated
Nov 7, 2024
Vendor
ClamAV
Product
Cisco Packet Tracer
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 4, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 7, 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 privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

ClamAV · Cisco Packet Tracerversion=n/a

Published CVSS scores

6.9NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.3Cisco Systems, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574.001DLL Search Order Hijacking

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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