CVE-2021-36260
CVE-2021-36260 is a security flaw in Hikvision Security cameras web server, security cameras and video recorders. Attackers can run commands on Hikvision Security cameras web server. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 10 Jan 2022.[1]
Hikvision Security cameras web server is in things households have: security cameras and video recorders, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Hikvision has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an improper input validation in Hikvision Security cameras web server. In its words: “A command injection vulnerability in the web server of some Hikvision product. Due to the insufficient input validation.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “A command injection vulnerability in the web server of some Hikvision product. Due to the insufficient input validation, attacker can exploit the vulnerability to launch a command injection attack by sending some messages with malicious commands.”[2]
The underlying weakness is OS command injection (CWE-78), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 9.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Hikvision’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Hikvision Security cameras web server.
Every device with Hikvision Security cameras web server needs the update.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 10 Jan 2022, 110 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 24 Jan 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at over 99%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Hikvision has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Update Hikvision Security cameras web server now.Install the latest update from Hikvision on every device that has it, and restart when asked. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
- If the maker has stopped updating it, replace it.Cameras stop getting fixes after a few years, and attackers keep a list of the ones that did. If there’s no newer firmware, it won’t be fixed.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 9.8.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at over 99%.[4] |
See also
Other Hikvision flaws
- CVE-2017-7921, Hikvision products: improper authentication ·
Other OS command injection flaws
- CVE-2026-110447, Collabora Online – Built-in CODE Server: online – built-in CODE server OS command injection ·
- CVE-2026-106931, EG Secure Solutions SiteGuard Server Edition: OS command injection ·
- CVE-2026-83549, SonicWall SMA1000 Appliances: OS command injection ·
- CVE-2026-49869, Kestra OSS: OSS OS command injection ·
- CVE-2026-73570, Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS): OS command injection ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2021-27860, FatPipe WARP, IPVPN, and MPVPN software: WARP, IPVPN, and MPVPN configuration upload exploit ·
- CVE-2021-22017, VMware vCenter Server: improper access control ·
- CVE-2020-6572, Google Chrome Media: use-after-free ·
- CVE-2019-9670, Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS): improper restriction of XML external entity reference ·
- CVE-2019-7609, Elastic Kibana: arbitrary code execution ·
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Hikvision Improper Input Validation”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 10 Jan 2022.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2021-36260 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 22 Sep 2021.
- ^ Hikvision. Advisories and fixes: hikvision.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.999, percentile 100.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2021-36260”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.