Description
HTTP server for Cisco IOS 11.3 to 12.2 allows attackers to bypass authentication and execute arbitrary commands, when local authorization is being used, by specifying a high access level in the URL.
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Metasploit 1 module
-
Cisco IOS HTTP Unauthorized Administrative Access
auxiliary/scanner/http/cisco_ios_auth_bypass
Exploit-DB 4
- Cisco IOS 11.x/12.x - HTTP Configuration Arbitrary Administrative Access (1) EDB-20975 · remote · Jun 27, 2001 · verified
- Cisco IOS 11.x/12.x - HTTP Configuration Arbitrary Administrative Access (2) EDB-20976 · remote · Jun 27, 2001 · verified
- Cisco IOS 11.x/12.x - HTTP Configuration Arbitrary Administrative Access (4) EDB-20978 · remote · Jun 27, 2001 · verified
- Cisco IOS 11.x/12.x - HTTP Configuration Arbitrary Administrative Access (3) EDB-20977 · remote · Mar 7, 2001 · verified
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Automated scanner template
A ready-made Nuclei template detects this vulnerability automatically. Vulnerabilities with public scanner templates are typically probed across the internet soon after the template appears — exposed systems should be patched first.
- Cisco IOS HTTP Configuration - Authentication Bypass http/cves/2001/CVE-2001-0537.yaml
Source: projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates (MIT) — updated daily. Only links are listed.
References
- CA-2001-14 third-party-advisory
- 20010629 Re: Cisco Security Advisory: IOS HTTP authorization vulnerability mailing-list
- 20010627 IOS HTTP authorization vulnerability vendor-advisory
- 20010702 ios-http-auth.sh mailing-list
- 20010702 Cisco IOS HTTP Configuration Exploit mailing-list
- 578 vdb-entry
- 20010702 Cisco device HTTP exploit... mailing-list
- L-106 third-party-advisory government-resource
- 2936 vdb-entry
- cisco-ios-admin-access(6749) vdb-entry