Catalyst CenterApplication · Cisco
CVE-2021-1265
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 configuration archive functionality of Cisco DNA Center could allow any privilege-level authenticated, remote attacker to obtain the full unmasked running configuration of managed devices. The vulnerability is due to the configuration archives files being stored in clear text, which can be retrieved by various API calls. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and executing a series of API calls. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to retrieve the full unmasked running configurations of managed devices.
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 confidenceClear text storage of configuration archive files in Cisco DNA Center allows any authenticated user to retrieve full unmasked running configurations of managed devices via API calls. The vulnerability requires valid credentials but no elevated privileges, making it accessible to all authenticated attackers.
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
< 2.1.1.0CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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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Check installed Cisco Catalyst Center versionLog into the Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center) GUI and navigate to the About page, or use the CLI command 'show version' to determine the currently installed version numberAffected if The installed version is lower than 2.1.1.0
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Verify API accessibility for authenticated usersUsing valid credentials for a standard authenticated user account, attempt to access the configuration archive API endpoint (typically /api/v1/config-archive or similar configuration retrieval endpoints)Affected if The API returns full unmasked running configuration data without requiring elevated privileges
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Identify configuration archive storage locationCheck the filesystem or database where configuration archives are stored on the Cisco Catalyst Center appliance for the presence of unmasked configuration filesAffected if Configuration archive files containing plaintext device configurations are found stored without encryption
A user is affected if their Cisco Catalyst Center version is below 2.1.1.0 and standard authenticated users can retrieve unmasked device configurations via API calls.
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 data2.1.1.0
Apply Cisco's patch for CVE-2021-1265 when available. Until then, restrict API access to trusted users only and monitor for unauthorized configuration retrieval attempts.
Fix this in Catalyst Center
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-1265 — 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-2021-1265 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