dbcve.org
Catalyst Sd Wan ManagerApplication · Cisco

CVE-2021-1491

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2024-11-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco SD-WAN vManage Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to read arbitrary files on the underlying file system of the device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient file scope limiting. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by creating a specific file reference on the file system and then accessing it through the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to read arbitrary files from the file system of the underlying operating system.Cisco has released software updates that address this vulnerability. There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

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

A path traversal vulnerability in Cisco SD-WAN vManage's web-based management interface allows authenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files from the OS filesystem. The vulnerability stems from insufficient file scope limiting in the web component, where an attacker can manipulate file references to access files outside the intended scope.

MitigationApply the Cisco software updates that address this vulnerability. No workarounds are available.

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 Sd Wan ManagerApplication
Affected:= 17.2.4= 17.2.5= 17.2.6= 17.2.7= 17.2.8= 17.2.9= 17.2.10= 18.2.0= 18.3.0= 18.3.1= 18.3.1.1= 18.3.3

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
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.0/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 checks

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

  1. Identify if Cisco SD-WAN vManage is installed
    Locate the vManage installation and note its installation path. Common locations include /opt/sdwan/vmanage or check system packages for 'vmanage' or 'sdwan' components.
    Affected if The system runs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager (vManage)
  2. Determine the installed vManage version
    Run 'vmanage -version' or check /opt/sdwan/vmanage/version.txt, or use the web interface login page which often displays the version, or query the API endpoint /dataservice/system/device/mode if accessible.
    Affected if The installed version matches one of these: 17.2.4, 17.2.5, 17.2.6, 17.2.7, 17.2.8, 17.2.9, 17.2.10, 18.2.0, 18.3.0, 18.3.1, 18.3.1.1, or 18.3.3
  3. Verify the web-based management interface is enabled
    Check if the vManage web service is running and accessible. Look for httpd or nginx processes related to vManage on ports 443 or 8443. Confirm the '/dataservice' API endpoint is reachable.
    Affected if The vManage web management interface (HTTPS on port 443 or 8443) is exposed and operational
  4. Confirm authentication is configured for the web interface
    Verify that the web interface requires valid credentials. Check the authentication configuration in /opt/sdwan/vmanage/webui/config or verify login is enforced when accessing the management portal.
    Affected if The web management interface accepts authentication credentials (even if using default or weak credentials)

A system is affected if it runs Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager versions 17.2.4 through 18.3.3 and has 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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the Cisco software updates that address this vulnerability. No workarounds are available.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Any version later than 17.2.7 (e.g., 17.2.8 or later in the 17.2.x train)

  1. Identify the current Cisco SD-WAN vManage software version using the web interface or CLI
  2. Navigate to the Cisco Software Download page or contact Cisco to obtain the fixed release
  3. Upgrade to a version later than 17.2.7 that contains the security fix
  4. After upgrade, verify the system is running the patched version
  5. Confirm the vulnerability is resolved by attempting (and failing) the file read with the previously exploitable method
Caveat Review Cisco release notes for any configuration or behavioral changes between 17.2.x versions before upgrading

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

Fix this in Catalyst Sd Wan Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,120
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,392.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2021-1491 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