Aironet Access Point SoftwareApplication · Cisco
CVE-2021-1449
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 boot logic of Cisco Access Points Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to execute unsigned code at boot time. The vulnerability is due to an improper check that is performed by the area of code that manages system startup processes. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by modifying a specific file that is stored on the system, which would allow the attacker to bypass existing protections. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute unsigned code at boot time and bypass the software image verification check part of the secure boot process of an affected device. Note: To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have access to the development shell (devshell) on the device.
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 vulnerability in Cisco Access Points Software boot logic allows an authenticated local attacker with development shell (devshell) access to execute unsigned code at boot time by modifying a specific stored file, bypassing secure boot image verification checks.
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
Aironet Access Point SoftwareApplication
all versions
Catalyst 9800 FirmwareOperating system
< 16.12.5>= 17.1, < 17.3.3>= 17.4, < 17.5.1
Wireless Lan Controller SoftwareApplication
< 8.5.171.0>= 8.6, < 8.10.150.0CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/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.
-
Identify the installed Cisco firmware versionLog into the Access Point or Wireless Controller CLI and run 'show version' or 'show boot' to retrieve the current firmware versionAffected if The installed version falls within the affected ranges: all versions of Cisco Aironet; Cisco Catalyst 9800 < 16.12.5, 17.1 to < 17.3.3, or 17.4 to < 17.5.1; Cisco WLC < 8.5.171.0, 8.6 to < 8.10.150.0
-
Determine if devshell access is enabledCheck the device configuration for devshell or development shell privileges using 'show running-config | include devshell' or review user privilege assignmentsAffected if Devshell access is available to authenticated local users, as this is required for the attacker to exploit the vulnerability
-
Inspect boot configuration file integrityExamine the boot configuration or image storage files that the device uses at startup, looking for any unexpected modifications or unauthorized changesAffected if The specific stored file used during boot has been modified to contain unsigned code, allowing bypass of secure boot verification
-
Verify secure boot image verification statusCheck the secure boot configuration or image verification status on the device using 'show secure-boot' or equivalent secure boot status commands if availableAffected if Secure boot image verification is enabled but can be bypassed through modification of the targeted stored file, indicating the vulnerability is exploitable
The environment is affected if the device runs a Cisco Aironet, Catalyst 9800, or Wireless Lan Controller firmware version within the listed affected ranges AND devshell access is accessible to authenticated local users.
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 data8.5.171.08.10.150.016.12.5
Apply the Cisco firmware update for affected Access Points; restrict devshell access and monitor for unauthorized local access to mitigate exploitation.
Fix this in Aironet Access Point Software
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-1449 — 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-2021-1449 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