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Vulnerabilities/CVE-2021-4034Public Intelligence Dossier
Source: polkit project · Limited verification•Last verified: •Collection Degraded
CVE-2021-4034ListedHIGH (raw)CVSS 7.8CWE-787

A local privilege escalation vulnerability was found on polkit's pkexec utility

Published: 29 Jan 2022•Last updated: 15 Aug 2026, 09:47 AM IST•Source identifier: secalert@redhat.com
Dossier completeness: source-provided sections 3 / 3 · rule guidance available. Missing source facts count as incomplete.
Official source
CISA KEV catalog
Listed
Added27 Jun 2022
Due18 Jul 2022
RansomwareKnown
CVSS score
7.8HIGH (raw)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Metric sourcenvd@nist.gov
EPSS probability
94.9%0.949
Percentile100th
Weakness type
CWE-787
CWE-125
Remediation
Patch status unknown
No fixed version or KB recorded

Why It Matters

Analysis dossier

Why It Matters

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.

SOC priority

Immediate Attention

Actively exploited (source statement)

Yes

Publicly disclosed

Unknown

Risk basis: CISA KEV exploitation signal; Microsoft or Microsoft-managed product relevance; HIGH severity; Source-confirmed exploitation or CISA KEV/ransomware metadata

Affected Products & Remediation

30 source-backed products
Affected products and versions (source)
  • polkit project polkit · < 121 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux server update services for sap solutions · 7.6; 7.7; 8.1; 8.2; 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux · server update services for sap solutions 7.6; server update services for sap solutions 7.7; 8.0; desktop 7.0; eus 8.2; for ibm z systems 7.0; for ibm z systems 8.0; for ibm z systems eus 8.2; for ibm z systems eus 8.4; for power big endian 7.0; for power little endian 7.0; for power little endian 8.0; for power little endian eus 8.1; for power little endian eus 8.2; for power little endian eus 8.4; for scientific computing 7.0; server 6.0; server 7.0; server aus 7.3; server aus 7.4; server aus 7.6; server aus 7.7; server aus 8.2; server aus 8.4; server eus 8.4; server tus 7.6; server tus 7.7; server tus 8.2; server tus 8.4; server update services for sap solutions 8.1; server update services for sap solutions 8.2; server update services for sap solutions 8.4; workstation 7.0 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux desktop · 7.0 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux eus · 8.2 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux for ibm z systems · 7.0; 8.0; eus 8.2; eus 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux for ibm z systems eus · 8.2; 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux for power big endian · 7.0 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux for power little endian · 7.0; 8.0; eus 8.1; eus 8.2; eus 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux for power little endian eus · 8.1; 8.2; 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux for scientific computing · 7.0 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux server · update services for sap solutions 7.6; update services for sap solutions 7.7; 6.0; 7.0; aus 7.3; aus 7.4; aus 7.6; aus 7.7; aus 8.2; aus 8.4; eus 8.4; tus 7.6; tus 7.7; tus 8.2; tus 8.4; update services for sap solutions 8.1; update services for sap solutions 8.2; update services for sap solutions 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux server aus · 7.3; 7.4; 7.6; 7.7; 8.2; 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux server eus · 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux server tus · 7.6; 7.7; 8.2; 8.4 · NVD CPE · Source
  • redhat enterprise linux workstation · 7.0 · NVD CPE · Source
  • canonical ubuntu linux · 14.04; 16.04; 18.04; 20.04; 21.10 · NVD CPE · Source
  • suse enterprise storage · 7.0 · NVD CPE · Source
  • suse linux enterprise high performance computing · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • suse manager proxy · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • suse manager server · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • suse linux enterprise desktop · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • suse linux enterprise server · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • suse linux enterprise workstation extension · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • oracle http server · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • oracle zfs storage appliance kit · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • siemens sinumerik edge · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • siemens scalance lpe9403 firmware · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • starwindsoftware command center · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
  • starwindsoftware starwind virtual san · version range not provided by source · NVD CPE · Source
NVD applicability prerequisites: cpe:2.3:h:siemens:scalance_lpe9403:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*. These are conditions, not proof that an environment is exposed or unaffected.
Recorded patch / KBNot provided by source

Vendor or catalog guidance (source)

  • CISA KEV: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Known exploitation (source facts)

Only what a source states. Unknown means no source has said either way; it is not "not exploited".

CISA KEV
Listed
Exploited (source statement)
Yes
Publicly disclosed (source)
Unknown

CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Suggested hunting (rule-based inference)

SecOps Signal recommendation (rule-based inference). These steps are hunting hypotheses from the vulnerability class; they do not state or imply that exploitation occurred here or anywhere.

Matched local-access-review (CVSS AV:L, CVSS PR:L)

Exposure

  1. Identify hosts reporting this CVE, prioritising shared or multi-user systems.Telemetry: DeviceTvmSoftwareVulnerabilities · A local, low-privilege vector matters most where untrusted users can run code. · Rule local-access-review

Exploitation evidence

  1. Review source-stated impact and relevant application errors on affected hosts; local access alone does not establish privilege escalation.Telemetry: DeviceProcessEvents · The vector establishes local access and low privileges only. Confirm the impact from the advisory before choosing a specific hunt. · Rule local-access-review

Response

  1. Confirm the source-stated update on affected hosts.Telemetry: DeviceTvmSoftwareVulnerabilities · Host inventory can verify remediation. · Rule local-access-review

CISA KEV Record

Catalog entry
27 Jun 2022
Required action due
18 Jul 2022
Known ransomware use
Known

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Change History & Source Data

— No recorded material change

CNA / source
secalert@redhat.com
Record status · verification
UPDATED · CISA KEV confirmed
CPE
cpe:2.3:a:polkit_project:polkit:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*, 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:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Evidence & Provenance

4 public sources
CISA KEV CatalogAdded 2022-06-27access.redhat.comSource recordnvd.nist.govSource recordbugzilla.redhat.comSource record

Linked by the query's stored exact CVE association. Review required tables and validation status before use.

Detection Hunting Query
Target: DeviceTvmSoftwareVulnerabilities•Defender XDR
Detect endpoints exposed to CVE-2021-4034
Purpose: Exposure assessment (Category: Exposure Check)Why linked: Query metadata names CVE-2021-4034
DeviceTvmSoftwareVulnerabilities| where CveId == "CVE-2021-4034"| project DeviceId, DeviceName, OSPlatform, OSVersion, SoftwareVendor, SoftwareName, SoftwareVersion, CveId, VulnerabilitySeverityLevel, RecommendedSecurityUpdate, RecommendedSecurityUpdateId| sort by VulnerabilitySeverityLevel desc
Schema Checked · Not runtime validatedSource: SecOps Signal deterministic template · Limited verificationStatic screening: Passed structure and schema checks; tenant execution is not verified.
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Correlated briefings

SecOps Signal surfaces public advisory facts only. A missing value means the source has not published it, not that your environment is unaffected. No tenant inventory is connected.