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Sa500 SoftwareApplication · Cisco

CVE-2011-2547

HIGH · 9.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2011-07-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.1.18 or later.
See remediation →
96/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The web-based management interface on Cisco SA 500 series security appliances with software before 2.1.19 allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary commands via crafted parameters to web forms, aka Bug ID CSCtq65681.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Command injection vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco SA 500 series security appliances allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary operating system commands via crafted parameters in web forms. Affected software versions are prior to 2.1.19.

MitigationUpgrade Cisco SA 500 series appliances to software version 2.1.19 or later. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, restrict access to the management interface to trusted networks or use VPN access controls.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Sa500 SoftwareApplication
Affected:<= 2.1.18= 1.0.14= 1.0.15= 1.0.17= 1.0.39= 1.1.21= 1.1.42= 1.1.65
Sa520Hardware / appliance
Affected:all versions
Sa520wHardware / appliance
Affected:all versions
Sa540Hardware / appliance
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
Single
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the device model
    Access the device's web management interface or CLI and check the model number displayed in the system information or status page. Look for model identifiers such as Cisco SA 500, SA520, SA520w, or SA540.
    Affected if The device is any of these models: Cisco SA 500, SA520, SA520w, or SA540.
  2. Check the installed software version
    In the web interface, navigate to System > Status or System > Information to view the software version. Alternatively, use the CLI command 'show version' or 'system show version' to retrieve the firmware version.
    Affected if The installed version is prior to 2.1.19, or matches any of these: 1.0.14, 1.0.15, 1.0.17, 1.0.39, 1.1.21, 1.1.42, 1.1.65.
  3. Verify web management interface is enabled
    Check the device configuration for web-based management interface settings. In the web UI, go to System Administration > Remote Management or similar section. From CLI, use 'show http server status' or check firewall rules that permit HTTPS/HTTP access to the device.
    Affected if The web-based management interface (HTTP or HTTPS) is enabled and accessible from the network where the check is performed.
  4. Confirm remote access is permitted
    Review the access control settings for the management interface. Check if the web interface is bound to WAN-facing interfaces or if access is restricted to LAN/trusted interfaces only. Inspect firewall or access list rules that control who can reach the management ports (typically 443/HTTPS or 80/HTTP).
    Affected if The management interface is reachable from untrusted networks or the WAN interface without VPN or ACL restrictions.

A user is affected if they have a Cisco SA 500, SA520, SA520w, or SA540 device running software version 2.1.18 or earlier, with the web-based management interface enabled and accessible.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.1.18
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Cisco SA 500 series appliances to software version 2.1.19 or later. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, restrict access to the management interface to trusted networks or use VPN access controls.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.1.19 or later

  1. 1. Access the Cisco SA 500 web-based management interface by navigating to the device's IP address in a web browser
  2. 2. Log in with administrative credentials
  3. 3. Navigate to the System Administration or Maintenance section (exact location varies by firmware version)
  4. 4. Locate the Firmware/Software Upgrade option
  5. 5. Download the firmware version 2.1.19 or later from the Cisco software download center (requires valid Cisco service contract)
  6. 6. Upload the new firmware file to the appliance
  7. 7. Wait for the upload and installation process to complete - do not power off the device during this process
  8. 8. After reboot, log back into the management interface and verify the firmware version shows 2.1.19 or later
Caveat Cisco SA 500 series appliances may be at end-of-life; verify Cisco product support status before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Sa500 Software Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,330
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2011-2547 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data