Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a local privilege escalation in Cisco DNA Spaces Connector. Someone who already has authenticated local access as a high-privileged user could abuse restricted CLI command handling to run OS commands as root. It is not a drive-by internet bug, but it can turn a foothold on the connector into full system control.
Executive priority
Treat as a moderate-priority infrastructure hardening item. It is not described as remotely exploitable or actively exploited, but compromise of a connector admin account could become root control of the underlying system.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-78 in affected Cisco DNA Spaces Connector CLI command execution. CVSS 3.1 is 6.0: local attack vector, low complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, high confidentiality and integrity impact, and no availability impact listed.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations running Cisco DNA Spaces Connector where attackers can obtain local authenticated access as dnasadmin. The provided sources do not identify affected versions, deployment scale, or internet exposure patterns.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or cited evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires authenticated local access with high privileges, then abuses insufficient restrictions in affected CLI commands to reach root-level command execution.
Researcher notes
Key gaps are affected version detail, fixed-version detail, and exploitation telemetry. Analysis should stay anchored to Cisco’s advisory and CVE data; do not infer broader Cisco DNA product exposure from this connector-specific record.
Mitigation direction
- Review Cisco’s advisory for affected versions and remediation guidance.
- Update or remediate Cisco DNA Spaces Connector according to Cisco guidance.
- Restrict and monitor local access to dnasadmin and connector administration paths.
- Audit administrative accounts and remove unnecessary local privileges.
- Watch connector logs for unusual CLI or privilege escalation activity.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Cisco DNA Spaces Connector deployments and record versions.
- Confirm whether any deployment matches Cisco’s advisory scope.
- Review local administrative access, especially dnasadmin usage.
- Check logs for unexpected CLI execution or root-level command activity.
- Verify remediation status after applying Cisco-recommended fixes.
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 lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-1557 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N0.85.2Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- 20210519 Cisco DNA Spaces Connector Privilege Escalation VulnerabilitiesCVE 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.