CVE-2021-4034
Severity CVSS v4.0:
Pending analysis
Type:
CWE-787
Out-of-bounds Write
Publication date:
28/01/2022
Last modified:
03/04/2025
Description
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.
Impact
Base Score 3.x
7.80
Severity 3.x
HIGH
Base Score 2.0
7.20
Severity 2.0
HIGH
Vulnerable products and versions
| CPE | From | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:polkit_project:polkit:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 121 (excluding) | |
| 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:*:*:*:*:*:*:* |
To consult the complete list of CPE names with products and versions, see this page
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html
- https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txt
- https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/
- https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/
- https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869
- https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf
- https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html
- https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txt
- https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/
- https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/
- https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564
- https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/pwnkit-pkexec-lpe-cve-2021-4034