Catalyst CenterApplication · Cisco
CVE-2021-1257
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 · uneditedA vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco DNA Center Software could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack to manipulate an authenticated user into executing malicious actions without their awareness or consent. The vulnerability is due to insufficient CSRF protections for the web-based management interface of an affected device. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by persuading a web-based management user to follow a specially crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to perform arbitrary actions on the device with the privileges of the authenticated user. These actions include modifying the device configuration, disconnecting the user's session, and executing Command Runner commands.
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 confidenceA CSRF vulnerability in Cisco DNA Center's web-based management interface allows unauthenticated remote attackers to trick authenticated users into executing malicious actions via specially crafted links. Successful exploitation grants the attacker arbitrary actions with the victim's privileges, including modifying device configuration, disconnecting sessions, and executing Command Runner commands.
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
Catalyst CenterApplication
< 2.1.1.0
AgentApplication
< 5.7.6CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Cisco DNA Center versionLog into the Cisco DNA Center web interface and navigate to the About or System Settings page to view the current software version. Alternatively, use the CLI command 'show version' on the appliance.Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 2.1.1.0 (for example, 2.1.0.x, 2.0.x, or earlier releases).
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Confirm product name is Cisco DNA Center or Catalyst CenterVerify that the affected system is specifically Cisco DNA Center (also rebranded as Cisco Catalyst Center). Check the product name displayed in the web interface header or login page.Affected if The product is Cisco DNA Center or Catalyst Center and the version falls below 2.1.1.0.
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Assess web interface exposureDetermine if the Cisco DNA Center web-based management interface is accessible from network locations where users could potentially click untrusted links while authenticated.Affected if The web interface is reachable from untrusted networks and users authenticate to it, creating a CSRF attack surface.
A user is affected if their Cisco DNA Center/Catalyst Center installation is at a version lower than 2.1.1.0 and the web management interface is in use.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor data2.1.1.05.7.6
Apply the vendor patch from Cisco when available. In the interim, users should avoid clicking untrusted links while authenticated to the Cisco DNA Center interface.
Fix this in Catalyst Center
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-1257 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-1257 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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