CVE-2021-1579
HIGHEPSS 80th pctlDescription
A vulnerability in an API endpoint of Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) and Cisco Cloud Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (Cloud APIC) could allow an authenticated, remote attacker with Administrator read-only credentials to elevate privileges on an affected system. This vulnerability is due to an insufficient role-based access control (RBAC). An attacker with Administrator read-only credentials could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specific API request using an app with admin write credentials. A successful exploit could allow the attacker to elevate privileges to Administrator with write privileges on the affected device.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Elevated risk: more likely to be exploited than 80% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-250 vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2024-1222 | High | 8.6 | 64% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2025-12420 | Critical | 9.8 | 45% | - | Fix |
| CVE-2024-38813 | High | 7.5 | 17% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2025-34515 | Critical | 9.8 | 7.4% | - | - |
| CVE-2026-29205 | High | 8.6 | 7.2% | - | - |
| CVE-2019-16765 | High | 7.4 | 4.7% | - | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2021-1579?
Published advisories record a fix for 2 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2021-1579 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2021-1579 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 2.1% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 80% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2021-1579?
CVE-2021-1579 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.1, rated high. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2021-1579 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for application policy infrastructure controller (NVD), cloud application policy infrastructure controller (NVD). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2024-11-21.