A vulnerability in the build procedure for certain executable system files installed at boot time on Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure
A vulnerability in the build procedure for certain executable system files installed at boot time on Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) devices could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain root-level privileges. The vulnerability is due to a custom executable system file that was built to use relative search paths for libraries without properly validating the library to be loaded. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to the device and loading a malicious library that can escalate the privilege level. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain root-level privileges and take full control of the device. The attacker must have valid user credentials to log in to the device. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCvc96087. Known Affected Releases: 1.1(0.920a), 1.1(1j), 1.1(3f); 1.2 Base, 1.2(2), 1.2(3), 1.2.2; 1.3(1), 1.3(2), 1.3(2f); 2.0 Base, 2.0(1).
- Published
- Aug 17, 2017
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.4% · 34th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-426
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Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.4%
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| cisco | application policy infrastructure controller | cpe:2.3:a:cisco:application_policy_infrastructure_controller |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.1(0.920a)
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.1(1j)
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.1(3f)
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.2_base
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.2.2
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.2(2)
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.2(3)
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.3(1)
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.3(2)
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller1.3(2f)
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller2.0_base
- cisco application policy infrastructure controller2.0(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 Systems, Inc. Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC)
- 1.1(0.920a), 1.1(1j), 1.1(3f), 1.2 Base, 1.2(2), 1.2(3), 1.2.2, 1.3(1), 1.3(2), 1.3(2f), 2.0 Base, 2.0(1)affected
Same product
cisco: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2021-1581Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Command Injection and File Upload Vulnerabilities36Monitor
- CVE-2021-1579Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller App Privilege Escalation Vulnerability36Monitor
- CVE-2021-1578Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Privilege Escalation Vulnerability36Monitor
- CVE-2021-1577Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Arbitrary File Read and Write Vulnerability36Monitor
- CVE-2023-20011Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller and Cisco Cloud Network Controller Cross-Site Request Forgery Vulnerability35Monitor
- CVE-2019-1682Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Privilege Escalation Vulnerability31Monitor
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.
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 researchersFinders, 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
- Someone with local access to the system 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
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-426 · Untrusted Search PathCVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/100363
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1039179
- tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20170816-apic2
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.