CVE-2021-1438 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2021-1438
Vulnerability Scoring

5.5
/10
Significant Risk

Security assessments indicate that CVE-2021-1438 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: Low
    Exploits can be performed without significant complexity or special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Local
    Vulnerability requires local system access.
  • Privileges Required: Low
    Some privileges are necessary to exploit the vulnerability.
  • Scope: Unchanged
    Exploit remains within the originally vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2021-1438 Details

Status: Modified

Last updated: 🕠 21 Nov 2024, 05:44 UTC
Originally published on: 🕐 06 May 2021, 13:15 UTC

Time between publication and last update: 1294 days

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

ykramarz@cisco.com

CVSS3 Type

Secondary

CVSS3 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVE-2021-1438 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2021-1438: A vulnerability in Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain access to sensitive information on an affected device. The vulnerability is due to improper input validation and authorization of specific commands that a user can execute within the CLI. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to an affected device and issuing a specific set of commands. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary files that they originally did not have permissions to access.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2021-1438

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2021-1438 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2021-1438

CVE-2021-1438 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2021-1438, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2021-1438, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: High
    Exploiting CVE-2021-1438 can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, severely compromising data privacy.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2021-1438 poses no threat to data integrity.
  • Availability: None
    CVE-2021-1438 does not impact system availability.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.

EPSS Score: 0.042% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 5.07% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 94.93% of others.

CVE-2021-1438 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-668

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.27:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.0.27:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.4\(7\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:4.4\(7\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1a\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1a\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1b\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1b\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1c\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1c\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1d\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1d\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1e\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1e\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1f\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1\(.1f\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1c:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1c:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1d:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.1.1d:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.2\(.1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.2\(.1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3\(.1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3\(.1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3\(.3\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3\(.3\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3\(.5\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3\(.5\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3\(.5a\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3\(.5a\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5b:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5c:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5c:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5d:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5d:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5e:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5e:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5f:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.3.5f:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.5\(7\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.5\(7\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.2_base:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:5.2_base:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.0\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.0\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.1\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.1\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2.1a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2.1a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2\(3\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2\(3\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2.3a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2.3a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2\(3a\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2\(3a\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2\(3b\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.2\(3b\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.3\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.3\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.4\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.4\(1\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.4\(3b\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.4\(3b\):*:*:*:*:*:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.4.5a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wide_area_application_services:6.4.5a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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