Unified Communications ManagerApplication · Cisco
CVE-2021-1408
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 · uneditedMultiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM), Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM & Presence Service (Unified CM IM&P), Cisco Unified Communications Manager Session Management Edition (Unified CM SME), and Cisco Unity Connection could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against an interface user. These vulnerabilities exist because the web-based management interface does not properly validate user-supplied input. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by persuading an interface user to click a crafted link. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary script code in the context of the affected interface or access sensitive browser-based information.
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 confidenceThis CVE describes multiple stored/reflected XSS vulnerabilities in the web-based management interfaces of Cisco Unified CM, Unified CM IM&P, Unified CM SME, and Cisco Unity Connection. The root cause is improper validation of user-supplied input in web parameters, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript through crafted links that execute in the context of authenticated users' sessions.
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
Unified Communications ManagerApplication
< 14CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/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.
-
Identify installed Cisco UC productsCheck the system for presence of Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Unified CM IM&P, Unified CM SME, or Cisco Unity Connection. Look for installation directories or use system inventory tools.Affected if Any of these products are installed on the system
-
Determine product versionAccess the product's About page in the web management interface or check the version via command line (utils show version for Unified CM). Compare the version number to the affected range (< 14).Affected if The installed version is less than 14 (e.g., 12.5, 11.5, etc.)
-
Verify web management interface is accessibleCheck if the web-based management interface port is open and reachable (default ports: 8443 for Unified CM admin, 443 for other interfaces). Use 'netstat' or port scanning tools.Affected if The web management interface is accessible on the network
-
Review web access logs for suspicious patternsExamine HTTP access logs in the web management interface for unusual query parameters, especially those containing script tags or javascript: URIs that may indicate XSS probing.Affected if Logs contain unexpected script-related patterns in URL parameters
The environment is affected if any Cisco Unified CM, Unified CM IM&P, Unified CM SME, or Cisco Unity Connection version below 14 is installed with the web management interface accessible.
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 data14
Apply the relevant Cisco security patches for this vulnerability to all affected Unified Communications products. Additionally, implement URL filtering and user awareness training to mitigate social engineering attacks using crafted links.
Fix this in Unified Communications Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-1408 — 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-2021-1408 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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