CVE-2021-1381 - Active Debug Code

Severity

61%

Complexity

9%

Confidentiality

86%

A vulnerability in Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker with high privileges or an unauthenticated attacker with physical access to the device to open a debugging console. The vulnerability is due to insufficient command authorization restrictions. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by running commands on the hardware platform to open a debugging console. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to access a debugging console.

CVSS 3.1 Base Score 6.1. CVSS Attack Vector: physical. CVSS Attack Complexity: low. CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).

CVSS 2.0 Base Score 3.6. CVSS Attack Vector: local. CVSS Attack Complexity: low. CVSS Vector: (AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N).

Demo Examples

Active Debug Code

CWE-489

Debug code can be used to bypass authentication. For example, suppose an application has a login script that receives a username and a password. Assume also that a third, optional, parameter, called "debug", is interpreted by the script as requesting a switch to debug mode, and that when this parameter is given the username and password are not checked. In such a case, it is very simple to bypass the authentication process if the special behavior of the application regarding the debug parameter is known. In a case where the form is:


               
</FORM>
<INPUT TYPE=SUBMIT>

Then a conforming link will look like:


               
http://TARGET/authenticate_login.cgi?username=...&password=...

An attacker can change this to:


               
http://TARGET/authenticate_login.cgi?username=&password=&debug=1

Which will grant the attacker access to the site, bypassing the authentication process.

Overview

Type

Cisco IOS XE

First reported 3 years ago

2021-03-24 21:15:00

Last updated 3 years ago

2021-03-30 11:55:00

Affected Software

Cisco IOS XE 16.11.1

16.11.1

Cisco IOS XE 16.12.1

16.12.1

Cisco IOS XE 16.12.1Y

16.12.1y

Cisco IOS XE 16.12.2

16.12.2

Cisco IOS XE 16.12.2A

16.12.2a

Cisco IOS XE 16.12.4

16.12.4

Cisco IOS XE 17.1.1

17.1.1

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