CVE-2021-1391 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A vulnerability in the dragonite debugger of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to escalate from privilege level 15 to root privilege.

Understanding CVE-2021-1391

This CVE refers to a privilege escalation vulnerability in Cisco IOS and IOS XE Software that could enable attackers to gain root privileges.

What is CVE-2021-1391?

The vulnerability allows an authenticated, local attacker to bypass consent token mechanism and escalate from privilege level 15 to root privilege on the affected device.

The Impact of CVE-2021-1391

If exploited successfully, an attacker could escalate their privileges to root level, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control over the affected device.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-1391

The vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 5.1, indicating a medium severity issue with high integrity impact and high privilege requirements.

Vulnerability Description

The presence of residual scripts on the device could be exploited to escalate privileges from level 15 to root.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Cisco IOS XE Software, but the specific impacted versions are not disclosed.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can leverage the development testing and verification scripts left on the device to escalate privileges through bypassing the consent token mechanism.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2021-1391, immediate steps, long-term security practices, and patching are recommended.

Immediate Steps to Take

Ensure only trusted users have access to affected devices. Monitor for any unusual behavior that might indicate exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch devices. Implement strong access controls and least privilege principles to limit potential attack vectors.

Patching and Updates

Apply the relevant security patch provided by Cisco to address the vulnerability and prevent potential privilege escalation attacks.