Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Cisco IMC's web management interface on Cisco UCS E-Series Software could let a logged-in administrator run operating-system commands as root. This is serious because a compromised or malicious administrator account could fully control the affected device. The provided sources do not show active exploitation or affected version details.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority infrastructure management risk if Cisco UCS E-Series systems are present. It is not unauthenticated internet-scale exploitation, but compromise of an admin account could lead to root-level device control. Prioritize inventory, management-plane isolation, and Cisco-guided remediation.
Technical view
CVE-2019-1850 is a CWE-78 command injection issue in Cisco Integrated Management Controller Software. Insufficient validation of user-supplied input in the administrative web interface allows an authenticated remote attacker with valid administrator credentials to execute system-level commands with root privileges. CVSS v3.0 score is 7.2 with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to organizations running Cisco Unified Computing System E-Series Software with Cisco IMC Software, especially where the web management interface is reachable and administrator credentials are compromised or misused. The source bundle lists affected versions as unspecified.
Exploitation context
The attack requires network access to the administrative web interface and valid administrator credentials. The CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided bundle, and no cited source here confirms active exploitation. Risk is higher where admin access is broadly shared, externally reachable, or weakly monitored.
Researcher notes
The key constraints are privilege requirement and product scope. Sources identify Cisco IMC Software on Cisco UCS E-Series Software, CWE-78, PR:H, AV:N, and root command execution. Affected versions and concrete remediation details are not included in the provided bundle, so verify them directly with Cisco.
Mitigation direction
- Check Cisco's advisory for affected releases and fixed software guidance.
- Restrict Cisco IMC web management access to trusted management networks.
- Review and reduce administrator accounts with IMC access.
- Enforce strong authentication and credential rotation for IMC administrators.
- Monitor administrative web interface activity for unusual changes or command execution indicators.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Cisco UCS E-Series systems using Cisco IMC Software.
- Compare installed versions against Cisco's advisory and vendor guidance.
- Confirm the IMC web interface is not exposed beyond management networks.
- Audit administrator accounts and recent authentication events.
- Review device logs for unexpected administrative actions or system-level changes.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-78: Command execution behavior lookup
Command injection weaknesses can lead defenders to review execution techniques and command interpreter telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2019-1850 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.2 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.25.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
7.2HighVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20190821 Cisco Integrated Management Controller Command Injection VulnerabilityCVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_CISCO
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.