Cisco IOS XE Software CLI Argument Injection Vulnerability

TL;DR 📌

A medium-severity vulnerability has been identified in Cisco IOS XE Software that allows authenticated local attackers with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system. No workarounds are available, and users are advised to upgrade to fixed software as soon as possible.

What happened 🕵️‍♂️

A vulnerability in the Command-Line Interface (CLI) of Cisco IOS XE Software could allow an authenticated local attacker with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary commands as root on the affected device’s operating system. This issue arises from insufficient validation of user arguments passed to specific CLI commands. An attacker could exploit this by logging in with valid administrative credentials and using crafted commands.

Affected products 🖥️

This vulnerability affects Cisco IOS XE Software, regardless of device configuration. Specific software releases that are vulnerable can be checked using the Cisco Software Checker tool.

Fixed software 🔧

Upgrade to the first fixed release in your train (or later):

Workarounds 🧯

There are no workarounds that address this vulnerability.

Risk in context 🎯

The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.0, classified as Medium severity. The risk is primarily associated with authenticated access, meaning that an attacker must have valid administrative credentials to exploit the vulnerability. While there is no immediate public exploitation reported, the potential for command execution as root poses a significant risk to the integrity of affected systems.

Fast facts ⚡

• Vulnerability: CLI Argument Injection
• CVSS Score: 6.0 (Medium)
• Affected Software: Cisco IOS XE Software
• Exploitation: Requires valid administrative credentials
• Workarounds: None available
• Fixed Software: Updates available; check Cisco Software Checker

For leadership 🧭

This vulnerability poses a Medium risk to our network infrastructure, as it requires authenticated access but allows for significant command execution capabilities on affected devices. The exposure is limited to those with administrative credentials, but the potential for exploitation remains a concern.

Remediation ask: Please prioritize patching affected systems within 7 days of receiving the fixed software updates.

Operational impact: Expect a brief maintenance window with no configuration drift anticipated.

Now / Next / Later:

• Now: Review and identify all devices running Cisco IOS XE Software.
• Next: Schedule and apply the necessary software updates.
• Later: Monitor for any signs of exploitation and review administrative access controls.