Cisco HyperFlex HX Web-Based Management Interface Remote Command Injection Vulnerability (CVE-2021-1498) Security Advisory
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTSystems running Cisco HyperFlex HX Data Platform with the web-based management interface enabled
Unauthenticated, remote attackers can execute arbitrary system commands with root privileges on the affected device by sending crafted HTTP requests
Immediately apply the official security patches provided by Cisco and restrict external access to the web management interface
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Administrators should immediately upgrade Cisco HyperFlex HX Data Platform to a patched release as recommended by Cisco. Below are reference commands to verify and apply the upgrade via the CLI.
# Log in to the HyperFlex Controller VM via SSH and check the current version
stcli cluster info | grep -i 'version'
# Verify the integrity of the downloaded Cisco patch package
sha256sum cisco-hxdp-upgrade-package.tar.gz
# Initiate the cluster upgrade process via CLI
stcli cluster upgrade --image /tmp/cisco-hxdp-upgrade-package.tar.gz --clean2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If patching cannot be applied immediately, restrict access to the web management interface using an external firewall or a reverse proxy configuration.
# Example Nginx configuration to restrict access to trusted administrator subnets only
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name hyperflex-admin.local;
location / {
# Allow only trusted internal management IP range
allow 10.10.50.0/24;
deny all;
proxy_pass https://hyperflex_backend_ips;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
}
}3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Run the following commands on the controller VM to inspect web server logs for potential exploitation attempts or suspicious command execution.
# Search Tomcat/web logs for common command execution keywords (e.g., curl, wget, sh)
grep -Ei '(sh|bash|curl|wget|chmod|cat|whoami|id)\s' /var/log/springpath/tomcat*.log
# Scan access logs for URL-encoded shell metacharacters
egrep -i '(\%3b|\%26|\%7c|\`|\$)' /var/log/springpath/access_logBlock Exploits Instantly with Managed Virtual Patching Rules
Can't patch production immediately? Deploy managed WAF rules at the edge to intercept RCE, SQLi, and deserialization payloads before they hit your origin server.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2021-1498) is a critical command injection flaw located in the web-based management interface of Cisco HyperFlex HX Data Platform. The root cause is the insufficient validation and sanitization of user-supplied input before passing it to system shell execution functions. This allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the execution flow and run arbitrary system commands.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker exploits this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted HTTP POST or GET request to the web management port (typically TCP 443 or 80) of the target Cisco HyperFlex HX device. By embedding shell metacharacters (such as ;, &, |, or ` ``) along with malicious payloads inside the request parameters or headers, the backend application executes these commands directly via the underlying operating system shell with root privileges. No authentication or user interaction is required to trigger this vulnerability.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
With a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical) and its inclusion in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, this vulnerability poses an extreme risk to enterprise environments. Successful exploitation grants the attacker full administrative control (root access) over the Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI). This can lead to complete infrastructure compromise, data exfiltration, ransomware deployment, and lateral movement across the internal network.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
Multiple vulnerabilities in the web-based management interface of Cisco HyperFlex HX could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to perform command injection attacks against an affected device. For more information about these vulnerabilities, see the Details section of this advisory.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2021-1498)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2021-1498 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2021-1498 is rated CVSS 9.8 (CRITICAL) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 100.0%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2021-1498?
Primary impacted vendors include cisco across hyperflex hx, hyperflex hx data platform. Scope summary: All versions of Cisco HyperFlex HX Data Platform with the web-based management interface enabled
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2021-1498 before patching?
[Mitigation] Immediately apply the official security patches provided by Cisco and restrict external access to the web management interface Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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