CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2021-34716 — Cisco Expressway security vulnerability

High CVSS 9

A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco Expressway Series and Cisco TelePresence Video Communication Server (VCS) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system as the root user. This vulnerability is due to incorrect handling of certain crafted software images that are uploaded to the affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the system as an administrative user and then uploading specific crafted software images to the affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the underlying operating system as the root user.

Severity
High
CVSS
9 (2.0)
Published
2021-08-18
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
software/application
Weaknesses
CWE-460, CWE-755

Affected products

  • cisco / expressway
  • cisco / telepresence_video_communication_server

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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