CVE-2021-1419 [High] | Privilege Escalation in Aironet 1542d Firmware

A vulnerability in the SSH management feature of multiple Cisco Access Points (APs) platforms could allow a local, authenticated user to modify files on the affected device and possibly gain escalated privileges. The vulnerability is due to improper checking on file operations within the SSH management interface. A network administrator user could exploit this vulnerability by accessing an affected device through SSH management to make a configuration change. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to gain privileges equivalent to the root user.

#	Date	Old EPSS score	New EPSS score	Delta (New - Old)
1	2026-06-15	0.04%	0.21%	+0.17%
2	2025-03-30	0.07%	0.04%	-0.03%
3	2025-03-29	—	0.07%	—

Date

Old EPSS score

New EPSS score

Delta (New - Old)

2026-06-15

0.04%

0.21%

+0.17%

2025-03-30

0.07%

0.04%

-0.03%

2025-03-29

—

0.07%

—

Base score	Version	Severity	Vector	Exploitability	Impact	Score source
7.8	3.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H` Click to expand Attack vector (AV:L) They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by. Attack complexity (AC:L) Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup. Privileges required (PR:L) A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin. User interaction (UI:N) Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping. Scope (S:U) Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems. Confidentiality (C:H) Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way. Integrity (I:H) They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt. Availability (A:H) Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.	1.8	5.9	[email protected]
7.8	3.1	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H` Click to expand Attack vector (AV:L) They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by. Attack complexity (AC:L) Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup. Privileges required (PR:L) A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin. User interaction (UI:N) Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping. Scope (S:U) Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems. Confidentiality (C:H) Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way. Integrity (I:H) They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt. Availability (A:H) Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.	1.8	5.9	[email protected]
7.2	2.0	HIGH	`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C` Click to expand Access vector (AV:L) Requires local access to the target system. Access complexity (AC:L) Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable. Authentication (AU:N) No authentication is required. Confidentiality impact (C:C) Complete confidentiality impact. Integrity impact (I:C) Complete integrity impact. Availability impact (A:C) Complete availability impact.	3.9	10.0	[email protected]

Base score

Version

Severity

Vector

Exploitability

Impact

Score source

7.8

3.1

HIGH

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

Attack vector (AV:L): They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:L): Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L): A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N): Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U): Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H): Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H): They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H): Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.

1.8

5.9

[email protected]

7.8

3.1

HIGH

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

Attack vector (AV:L): They already need access on the box, or another person has to do something wrong; it’s not a remote drive-by.
Attack complexity (AC:L): Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L): A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N): Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U): Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H): Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H): They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H): Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.

1.8

5.9

[email protected]

7.2

2.0

HIGH

AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C Click to expand

Access vector (AV:L): Requires local access to the target system.
Access complexity (AC:L): Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:N): No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:C): Complete confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:C): Complete integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:C): Complete availability impact.

3.9

10.0

[email protected]

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2021-1419

Vendor	Product	Version	Raw CPE
cisco	aironet_1542d_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1542d_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1562d_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1562d_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1815m_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1815m_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1830e_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1830e_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1840i_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1840i_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1850e_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1850e_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_2800i_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_2800i_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_3800p_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_3800p_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_4800_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_4800_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9105axi_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9105axi_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9115axe_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9115axe_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9117_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9117_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9120axi_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9120axi_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9124axd_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9124axd_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9130axe_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9130axe_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_iw6300_ac_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_iw6300_ac_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	esw6300_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:esw6300_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	1100-8p_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:1100-8p_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	1120_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:1120_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	1160_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:1160_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	wireless_lan_controller_software	>= 8.10, < 8.10.151.0	cpe:2.3:a:cisco:wireless_lan_controller_software::::::::
cisco	catalyst_9800_firmware	>= 16.12, < 16.12.6	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9800_firmware::::::::
cisco	catalyst_9800_firmware	>= 17.3, < 17.3.3	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9800_firmware::::::::
cisco	catalyst_9800_firmware	17.4	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9800_firmware:17.4:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1542i_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1542i_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1562e_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1562e_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1562i_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1562i_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1815w_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1815w_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1815t_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1815t_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1815i_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1815i_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1830i_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1830i_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_1850i_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_1850i_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_2800e_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_2800e_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_3800i_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_3800i_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	aironet_3800e_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:aironet_3800e_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9105axw_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9105axw_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9115axi_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9115axi_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9120axp_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9120axp_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9120axe_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9120axe_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9124axi_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9124axi_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_9130axi_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_9130axi_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_iw6300_dc_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_iw6300_dc_firmware:-:::::::*
cisco	catalyst_iw6300_dcw_firmware	—	cpe:2.3:o:cisco:catalyst_iw6300_dcw_firmware:-:::::::*

References for CVE-2021-1419

URL	Tags
https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-cisco-ap-LLjsGxv	Patch Vendor Advisory

URL

CVE-2021-1419 | Cisco Access Points SSH Management Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2021-1419

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2021-1419

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2021-1419

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2021-1419

References for CVE-2021-1419