CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2021-1441 — Cisco Ios Xe security vulnerability

High CVSS 7.2

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.

Severity
High
CVSS
7.2 (2.0)
Published
2021-03-24
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
operating-system
Weaknesses
CWE-78

Affected products

  • cisco / ios_xe / 3.15.1xbs
  • cisco / ios_xe / 3.15.2xbs
  • cisco / ios_xe / 16.9.1
  • cisco / ios_xe / 16.9.1c
  • cisco / ios_xe / 16.10.1
  • cisco / ios_xe / 16.10.1e

Showing 6 representative product identities from 27 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Command, code, expression, and template injection

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Check exposure

  • Trace untrusted values to process execution, interpreters, evaluators, template engines, dynamic imports, and administrative scripting features.
  • Determine whether the affected path is reachable across each trust boundary and which service account or host privilege it inherits.
  • Review configuration for optional execution features, unsafe compatibility modes, and shell invocation.

Remediate safely

  • Replace string-built commands or evaluated code with fixed operations and structured argument APIs that do not invoke a shell.
  • Use strict allowlists for operation identifiers and reject unexpected input before it reaches any interpreter.
  • Update the affected component and add inert regression tests covering metacharacters, encoding variants, and alternate request paths.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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