Common Services Platform CollectorApplication · Cisco
CVE-2021-40131
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 web-based management interface of Cisco Common Services Platform Collector (CSPC) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to conduct a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack against a user of the interface. This vulnerability is due to insufficient validation of user-supplied input that is processed by the web-based management interface. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by adding malicious code to the configuration by using the web-based management interface. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the 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 is a stored XSS vulnerability in Cisco CSPC's web-based management interface. An authenticated attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code through user-supplied input fields in the web interface. Due to insufficient server-side input validation, the malicious payload is stored and executed when other users view the affected configuration, allowing session hijacking or sensitive browser-based information theft.
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
Common Services Platform CollectorApplication
< 2.9.1.1CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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.
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Identify installed CSPC versionAccess the CSPC server and run: show version or check the About/Version section in the CSPC web management interface. Alternatively, check the installed software package via system package manager.Affected if The installed version is lower than 2.9.1.1 (e.g., 2.9.0, 2.8.x, etc.)
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Confirm web-based management interface is enabledVerify the CSPC web interface is accessible by navigating to the CSPC URL (typically https://<server>:443/cspc) in a browser. Check if the login page loads.Affected if The web interface is accessible and version check above shows affected version < 2.9.1.1
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Review administrative user accountsLog into CSPC and navigate to User Management or Administrator settings. List all users with read/write or administrative privileges.Affected if There are untrusted or unexpected users with administrative access, or default credentials are still in use
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Inspect stored configuration for malicious payloadsNavigate to configuration pages in the CSPC web interface where user-supplied input is saved (e.g., device naming, description fields, notification settings). View the page source or inspect stored values for suspicious script tags or JavaScript patterns.Affected if Stored XSS payloads (e.g., <script>, javascript:, onerror=) are present in any configuration fields when viewed by other users or admins
Your environment is affected if Cisco CSPC with a version lower than 2.9.1.1 is running with its web-based management interface accessible to untrusted authenticated 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.
dbcve · scoped2.9.1.1
Apply the Cisco patch for CVE-2021-40131 when available. Until then, restrict administrative access to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious activity in the CSPC interface.
CSPC version 2.9.1.1 or later
- Ensure you have a valid backup of the CSPC configuration before beginning the upgrade process
- Download the Cisco Common Services Platform Collector version 2.9.1.1 or later from Cisco.com or your authorized Cisco distribution channel
- Access the CSPC web-based management interface using an administrator account
- Navigate to the Administration or System Management section of the interface
- Locate the Software Upgrade or System Upgrade option
- Upload the downloaded CSPC 2.9.1.1 (or later) software image
- Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the upgrade process
- After upgrade completes, verify the new version number reflects 2.9.1.1 or later in the web interface
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Common Services Platform Collector
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 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-2021-40131 — 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-2021-40131 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