CVE-2021-4034

  1. OpenCVE
  2. Vulnerabilities (CVE)
  3. CVE-2021-4034
A local privilege escalation vulnerability was found on polkit's pkexec utility. The pkexec application is a setuid tool designed to allow unprivileged users to run commands as privileged users according predefined policies. The current version of pkexec doesn't handle the calling parameters count correctly and ends trying to execute environment variables as commands. An attacker can leverage this by crafting environment variables in such a way it'll induce pkexec to execute arbitrary code. When successfully executed the attack can cause a local privilege escalation given unprivileged users administrative rights on the target machine.

7.8 /10

CVSS v3 : HIGH

V3 Legend

Vector :

Exploitability : 1.8 / Impact : 5.9

Attack Vector LOCAL

Attack Complexity LOW

Privileges Required LOW

User Interaction NONE

Confidentiality Impact HIGH

Integrity Impact HIGH

Availability Impact HIGH

Scope UNCHANGED

7.2 /10

CVSS v2.0 : HIGH

V2 Legend

Vector : AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Exploitability : 3.9 / Impact : 10.0

Access Vector LOCAL

Access Complexity LOW

Authentication NONE

Confidentiality Impact COMPLETE

Integrity Impact COMPLETE

Availability Impact COMPLETE

References
Link Resource
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html Exploit Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001 Mitigation Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869 Issue Tracking Patch
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683 Patch
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html Patch Third Party Advisory
https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txt Exploit Mitigation Third Party Advisory
https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ Exploit Third Party Advisory
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/ Third Party Advisory
https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564 Third Party Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html Exploit Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001 Mitigation Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869 Issue Tracking Patch
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683 Patch
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html Patch Third Party Advisory
https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txt Exploit Mitigation Third Party Advisory
https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ Exploit Third Party Advisory
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/ Third Party Advisory
https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564 Third Party Advisory
https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/pwnkit-pkexec-lpe-cve-2021-4034 Exploit Third Party Advisory
Configurations

Configuration 1 (hide)

cpe:2.3:a:polkit_project:polkit:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 2 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:a:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_scientific_computing:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 3 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:21.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 4 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:a:suse:enterprise_storage:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:suse:linux_enterprise_high_performance_computing:15.0:sp2:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:suse:manager_proxy:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:suse:manager_server:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:15:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:15:sp2:*:*:*:-:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:15:sp2:*:*:*:sap:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_workstation_extension:12:sp5:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 5 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:a:oracle:http_server:12.2.1.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:http_server:12.2.1.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:zfs_storage_appliance_kit:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 6 (hide)

cpe:2.3:a:siemens:sinumerik_edge:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 7 (hide)

AND
cpe:2.3:o:siemens:scalance_lpe9403_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:siemens:scalance_lpe9403:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 8 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:command_center:1.0:update3_build5871:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san:v8:build14338:*:*:*:*:*:*
History

03 Apr 2025, 18:53

Type Values Removed Values Added
References () https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/pwnkit-pkexec-lpe-cve-2021-4034 - () https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/pwnkit-pkexec-lpe-cve-2021-4034 - Exploit, Third Party Advisory

21 Nov 2024, 06:36

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
  • () https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/pwnkit-pkexec-lpe-cve-2021-4034 -
References () http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html - Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry () http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html - Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
References () http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html - Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry () http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html - Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
References () https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001 - Mitigation, Vendor Advisory () https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001 - Mitigation, Vendor Advisory
References () https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869 - Issue Tracking, Patch () https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869 - Issue Tracking, Patch
References () https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf - Third Party Advisory () https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf - Third Party Advisory
References () https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683 - Patch () https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683 - Patch
References () https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html - Patch, Third Party Advisory () https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html - Patch, Third Party Advisory
References () https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txt - Exploit, Mitigation, Third Party Advisory () https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txt - Exploit, Mitigation, Third Party Advisory
References () https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ - Exploit, Third Party Advisory () https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ - Exploit, Third Party Advisory
References () https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/ - Third Party Advisory () https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/ - Third Party Advisory
References () https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564 - Third Party Advisory () https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564 - Third Party Advisory

05 Nov 2024, 19:38

Type Values Removed Values Added
CPE cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_hyperconverged_appliance:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

28 Jun 2024, 14:14

Type Values Removed Values Added
References () https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869 - Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory () https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869 - Issue Tracking, Patch
References () https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683 - Patch, Third Party Advisory () https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683 - Patch
References () https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html - Third Party Advisory () https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html - Patch, Third Party Advisory
References () https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ - () https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ - Exploit, Third Party Advisory

18 Oct 2023, 01:15

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
  • (MISC) https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ -

11 Sep 2023, 19:45

Type Values Removed Values Added
CWE CWE-125
Information

Published : 2022-01-28 20:15

Updated : 2025-04-03 18:53

NVD link : CVE-2021-4034

Mitre link : CVE-2021-4034

CVE.ORG link : CVE-2021-4034

JSON object : View

Products Affected

redhat

  • enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus
  • enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian
  • enterprise_linux
  • enterprise_linux_desktop
  • enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems
  • enterprise_linux_server_aus
  • enterprise_linux_server
  • enterprise_linux_server_eus
  • enterprise_linux_eus
  • enterprise_linux_server_tus
  • enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus
  • enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions
  • enterprise_linux_for_scientific_computing
  • enterprise_linux_workstation
  • enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian

suse

  • linux_enterprise_server
  • manager_proxy
  • linux_enterprise_desktop
  • enterprise_storage
  • manager_server
  • linux_enterprise_high_performance_computing
  • linux_enterprise_workstation_extension

oracle

  • zfs_storage_appliance_kit
  • http_server

starwindsoftware

  • starwind_virtual_san
  • command_center

siemens

  • scalance_lpe9403_firmware
  • scalance_lpe9403
  • sinumerik_edge

polkit_project

  • polkit

canonical

  • ubuntu_linux
CWE
CWE-787

Out-of-bounds Write

CWE-125

Out-of-bounds Read