How severe is CVE-2021-1264?

CVE-2021-1264 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-1264 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-1264?

CVE-2021-1264 affects Cisco Catalyst Center. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-1264?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2021-1264 published?

CVE-2021-1264 was published on 2021-01-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-1264

CVE-2021-1264 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst Center with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6. 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-78.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.6)
CVSS v2: 9.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-78
Affected product: Cisco Catalyst Center
Published: 2021-01-20
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A vulnerability in the Command Runner tool of Cisco DNA Center could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform a command injection attack. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation by the Command Runner tool. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by providing crafted input during command execution or via a crafted command runner API call. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary CLI commands on devices managed by Cisco DNA Center.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-1264?: A vulnerability in the Command Runner tool of Cisco DNA Center could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to perform a command injection attack. The vulnerability is due to insufficient input validation by the Command Runner tool. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by providing crafted input during command execution or via a crafted command runner API call. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary CLI commands on devices managed by Cisco DNA Center.
How severe is CVE-2021-1264?: CVE-2021-1264 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.6, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-1264 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-1264?: CVE-2021-1264 affects Cisco Catalyst Center. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-1264?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-1264 published?: CVE-2021-1264 was published on 2021-01-20 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-dnac-cmdinj-erumsWh9

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:cisco:catalyst_center:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Cisco Catalyst Center

CVE-2021-1303 — High (CVSS 8.8): A vulnerability in the user management roles of Cisco DNA Center could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to…
CVE-2021-1257 — High (CVSS 8.8): A vulnerability in the web-based management interface of Cisco DNA Center Software could allow an unauthenticated,…
CVE-2023-20055 — High (CVSS 8.0): A vulnerability in the management API of Cisco DNA Center could allow an authenticated, remote attacker to elevate…
CVE-2026-20191 — High (CVSS 7.5): A vulnerability in Cisco Catalyst Center could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to read arbitrary files from a…
CVE-2024-20350 — High (CVSS 7.5): A vulnerability in the SSH server of Cisco Catalyst Center, formerly Cisco DNA Center, could allow an unauthenticated,…
CVE-2020-3411 — High (CVSS 7.5): A vulnerability in Cisco DNA Center software could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker access to sensitive…

All CVEs affecting Cisco Catalyst Center →

Other CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-100382 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability in Wikimedia…
CVE-2026-77521 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): MaxKB is an open-source AI assistant for enterprise. Prior to version 2.10.5-lts, assistants with a tool, MCP tool,…
CVE-2026-82004 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Campaign Classic (ACC) is affected by an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS…
CVE-2026-76197 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Campaign Classic (ACC) is affected by an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS…
CVE-2026-76195 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Campaign Classic (ACC) is affected by an Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS…
CVE-2026-19188 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A critical OS command injection vulnerability has been identified in the Haiwell IoT Cloud HMI Gateway product. The…

Browse all CWE-78 (OS Command Injection) vulnerabilities →