CVE-2017-6781

CVE-2017-6781 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Cisco Policy Suite with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Description

A vulnerability in the management of shell user accounts for Cisco Policy Suite (CPS) Software for CPS appliances could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain elevated privileges on an affected system. The affected privilege level is not at the root level. The vulnerability is due to incorrect role-based access control (RBAC) for shell user accounts. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to an affected appliance and providing crafted user input via the CLI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to acquire a higher privilege level than should have been granted. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must log in to the appliance with valid credentials. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCve37724. Known Affected Releases: 9.0.0, 9.1.0, 10.0.0, 11.0.0, 12.0.0.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-6781?
A vulnerability in the management of shell user accounts for Cisco Policy Suite (CPS) Software for CPS appliances could allow an authenticated, local attacker to gain elevated privileges on an affected system. The affected privilege level is not at the root level. The vulnerability is due to incorrect role-based access control (RBAC) for shell user accounts. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by authenticating to an affected appliance and providing crafted user input via the CLI. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to acquire a higher privilege level than should have been granted. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker must log in to the appliance with valid credentials. Cisco Bug IDs: CSCve37724. Known Affected Releases: 9.0.0, 9.1.0, 10.0.0, 11.0.0, 12.0.0.
How severe is CVE-2017-6781?
CVE-2017-6781 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability low.
Is CVE-2017-6781 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (17th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-6781?
CVE-2017-6781 primarily affects Cisco Policy Suite. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-6781?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-6781 published?
CVE-2017-6781 was published on 2017-08-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (5)

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