CVE-2021-1579: Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller

High severity, CVSS 8.8. EPSS: 2.1% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

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.

Affected products

• Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller: before 3.2\(10f\) (fixed in 3.2\(10f\)); from 4.0, before 4.2\(7l\) (fixed in 4.2\(7l\)); from 5.0, before 5.2\(2f\) (fixed in 5.2\(2f\))
• Cisco Cloud Application Policy Infrastructure Controller: before 3.2\(10f\) (fixed in 3.2\(10f\)); from 4.0, before 4.2\(7l\) (fixed in 4.2\(7l\)); from 5.0, before 5.2\(2f\) (fixed in 5.2\(2f\))

Published 2021-08-25. Last modified 2026-06-17.