A vulnerability in the software image verification functionality of Cisco IOS XE Software for the Cisco Catalyst 9000 Family of switches could allow an unauthenticated, physical attacker to execute unsigned code at system boot time. The vulnerability is due to an improper check in the code function that manages the verification of the digital signatures of system image files during the initial boot process. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by loading unsigned software on an affected device. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to boot a malicious software image or execute unsigned code and bypass the image verification check part of the secure boot process of an affected device. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would need to have unauthenticated physical access to the device or obtain privileged access to the root shell on the device.
This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.8, with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from cisco organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.
Reported in 2021, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.
2021-03-24T20:15:15.623
2024-11-21T05:44:23.893
Modified
CVSSv3.1: 6.8 (MEDIUM)
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
3.9
10.0
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version/Range | Vulnerable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.15.1xbs | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 3.15.2xbs | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.4a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.4s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.5 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.6 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.7 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.6.8 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.7.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.8.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.2s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.3s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.5 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.9.6 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1e | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.10.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1b | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1c | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.11.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1c | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.2s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.2t | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.3a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.3s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.4 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 16.12.4a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.1.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.1.1s | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.1.1t | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.1.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.2.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.2.1a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.2.3 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.3.1 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.3.2 | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.3.2a | Yes |
| Operating System | cisco | ios_xe | 17.4.1 | Yes |
SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For cisco's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.