# CVE-2021-1443: Cisco IOS XE Software Web UI OS Command Injection Vulnerability

> Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary code with root privileges on Cisco IOS XE devices by tampering with configuration files and sending API calls.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Mar 2021
- **Updated:** 8 Nov 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g475-p834-3234

## What is CVE-2021-1443?

CVE-2021-1443 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe, published on 24 Mar 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A vulnerability in the web UI of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary code with root privileges on the underlying operating system of an affected device. The vulnerability exists because the affected software improperly sanitizes values that are parsed from a specific configuration file. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by tampering with a specific configuration file and then sending an API call. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to inject arbitrary code that would be executed on the underlying operating system of the affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have a privileged set of credentials to the device.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-1443?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Ios Xe.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-1443?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-1443 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-1443 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-1443 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Ios Xe

- [CVE-2023-20198](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20198/): Cisco IOS XE Web UI Privilege Escalation (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-0151](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0151/): Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software Quality of Service Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-20273](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-20273/): Cisco IOS XE Web UI Command Injection (high 7.2, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-20188](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-20188/): Hardcoded credentials in Cisco IOS XE Software (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2021-34770](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34770/): Cisco IOS XE Software for Catalyst 9000 Family Wireless Controllers CAPWAP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-1443 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-1443 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in Cisco Ios Xe, published on 24 Mar 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-1443 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Ios Xe. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1443/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1443/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-1443
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-1443
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1443

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-1443/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.