CVE-2021-1441
6.7 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2021-1441 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting cisco ios_xe. It was published on March 24, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.7 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.7, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
A vulnerability in the hardware initialization routines of Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco 1100 Series Industrial Integrated Services Routers and Cisco ESR6300 Embedded Series Routers could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute unsigned code at system boot time. This vulnerability is due to incorrect validations of parameters passed to a diagnostic script that is executed when the device boots up. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by tampering with an executable file stored on a device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute unsigned code at boot time and bypass the software image verification check part of the secure boot process of an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need administrative level credentials (level 15) on the device.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from cisco. Update ios_xe to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-1441?
CVE-2021-1441 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting cisco ios_xe. It was published on March 24, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.7 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2021-1441?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.7, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2021-1441?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from cisco. Update ios_xe to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2021-1441?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2021-1441 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
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