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CVE-2021-34718· NVD / CVE Program· CNA cisco

Cisco IOS XR Software Arbitrary File Read and Write Vulnerability

A vulnerability in the SSH Server process of Cisco IOS XR Software could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to overwrite and read arbitrary files on the local device. This vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation of arguments that are supplied by the user for a specific file transfer method. An attacker with lower-level privileges could exploit this vulnerability by specifying Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) parameters when authenticating to a device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate their privileges and retrieve and upload files on a device that they should not have access to.

HighCVSS 8.1 · v3.1—No exploit No fix recorded

Noroxi analysis

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Published
Sep 9, 2021
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
1.6% · 75th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

32

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
32 / 40 · 8.1 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 1.6%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
8.1
CNA · cisco
8.1
agree

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Affected systems

VendorProduct
ciscoios xr
ciscoasr 9000v-v2
ciscoasr 9001
ciscoasr 9006
ciscoasr 9010
ciscoasr 9901
ciscoasr 9902
ciscoasr 9903
ciscoasr 9904
ciscoasr 9906
ciscoasr 9910
ciscoasr 9912

and 24 more

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • cisco ios xrbefore 7.3.2
  • cisco ios xr7.4.0 and later · before 7.4.1

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (cisco). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Cisco Cisco IOS XR Software

    • n/aaffected

Same product

cisco: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2020-3118Cisco IOS XR Software Cisco Discovery Protocol Format String VulnerabilityKEV
    69This week
  • CVE-2020-3569Cisco IOS XR Software DVMRP Memory Exhaustion VulnerabilitiesKEV
    65This week
  • CVE-2020-3566Cisco IOS XR Software DVMRP Memory Exhaustion VulnerabilityKEV
    65This week
  • CVE-2010-3035Cisco IOS XR 3.4.0 through 3.9.1, when BGP is enabled, does not properly handle unrecognized transitive attributes, which allows remote attaKEV
    62This week
  • CVE-2022-20821Cisco IOS XR Software Health Check Open Port VulnerabilityKEV
    59Plan
  • CVE-2009-2055Cisco IOS XR 3.4.0 through 3.8.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (session reset) via a BGP UPDATE message with an invalKEV
    54Plan

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
none
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
None

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-88 · Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records