Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Cisco DNA Center had a critical flaw in its Command Runner feature. An authenticated remote attacker could abuse weak input validation to run arbitrary CLI commands on network devices managed by DNA Center. This is high business risk because the platform can control important network infrastructure.
Executive priority
Treat as urgent for environments using Cisco DNA Center. The risk is not public unauthenticated takeover, but a low-privilege authenticated path to command execution across managed network devices can create major operational impact.
Technical view
CVE-2021-1264 is a CWE-78 command injection issue in Cisco DNA Center Command Runner. Crafted input during command execution or through a crafted Command Runner API call could execute arbitrary CLI commands on managed devices. CVSS 3.1 is 9.6, with low attack complexity and low privileges required.
Likely exposure
Organizations using Cisco DNA Center with Command Runner available to authenticated users or API callers are the relevant exposure group. The provided sources do not identify exact affected versions.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Exploitation requires authentication, but impact can cross from DNA Center into managed network devices.
Researcher notes
The public bundle supports command injection, authenticated remote access, CVSS 9.6, CWE-78, and impact to managed devices. It does not provide exploit details, exact vulnerable versions, observed exploitation, or specific fixed releases in the included text.
Mitigation direction
- Review Cisco's advisory for affected releases, fixed software, and official workarounds.
- Prioritize remediation for DNA Center systems managing production or sensitive network devices.
- Restrict Command Runner and related API access to necessary trusted administrators.
- Review authenticated DNA Center accounts and remove unnecessary privileges.
- Monitor Cisco guidance if exact version status is unclear.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Cisco DNA Center deployments and record software versions.
- Confirm whether Command Runner is enabled or available to users.
- Review which users or integrations can call Command Runner APIs.
- Check logs for unusual Command Runner activity by authenticated accounts.
- Map managed devices that could receive commands through DNA Center.
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-2021-1264 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
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H3.15.8Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.6CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20210120 Cisco DNA Center Command Runner 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.