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Catalyst Sd Wan ManagerApplication · Cisco

CVE-2021-34700

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-07-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 20.4.2 / 20.5.1 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 CLI interface of Cisco SD-WAN vManage Software could allow an authenticated, local attacker to read arbitrary files on the underlying file system of an affected system. This vulnerability exists because access to sensitive information on an affected system is not sufficiently controlled. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information on an affected system. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to create forged authentication requests and gain unauthorized access to the web UI of an affected system.

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 or improper access control vulnerability in the CLI interface of Cisco SD-WAN vManage Software allows an authenticated local attacker to read arbitrary files on the filesystem. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of file access requests, enabling an attacker with valid credentials to access sensitive configuration files, credentials, or session tokens that could then be used to forge authentication requests and compromise the web UI.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided patch or upgrade to a fixed Cisco SD-WAN vManage Software version as specified in Cisco's security advisory. Restrict CLI access to only trusted administrators and monitor for unauthorized file access attempts.

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:>= 20.5.0, < 20.5.1
Sd Wan VmanageApplication
Affected:< 20.4.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 installed Cisco SD-WAN vManage version
    Log into the vManage CLI or check the vManage web UI under Administration > Settings > Software Version to determine the exact software version running
    Affected if The version is >= 20.5.0 and < 20.5.1, or < 20.4.2 (any version before 20.4.2)
  2. Verify CLI access configuration
    Check the vManage CLI access settings in the web UI under Administration > Users > CLI Users to confirm whether local CLI accounts exist
    Affected if CLI user accounts are configured and accessible (the vulnerability requires authenticated CLI access)
  3. Confirm vManage system type
    Determine if the device is running Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager or Cisco SD-WAN vManage by checking the product name in the web UI header or CLI output
    Affected if The system is Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager (version 20.5.x range) or Cisco SD-WAN vManage (any version before 20.4.2)
  4. Review file access patterns
    Examine vManage system logs and audit trails for any unusual or unauthorized file read operations, particularly accessing configuration files outside normal directories
    Affected if Evidence exists of file access attempts to system files like /etc/passwd, configuration directories, or credential stores from CLI sessions

A system is affected if it runs Cisco SD-WAN vManage software version >= 20.5.0 and < 20.5.1, or any version < 20.4.2, and has CLI access enabled for authenticated users.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 20.4.2 / 20.5.1 or later
Fixed in 20.4.220.5.1
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-provided patch or upgrade to a fixed Cisco SD-WAN vManage Software version as specified in Cisco's security advisory. Restrict CLI access to only trusted administrators and monitor for unauthorized file access attempts.

Fix this in Catalyst Sd Wan Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,570
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,512.

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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-2021-34700 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