CVE-2021-20415Network attack vector

Credential brute force via inadequate account lockout

Published Jul 7, 2021 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Guardium Data Encryption 4.0.0.4 has an authentication weakness that lets remote attackers brute-force account credentials over the network. Its account lockout setting permits repeated credential attempts instead of enforcing an effective threshold, allowing password guessing against exposed login services. The attack is unauthenticated but requires network reachability to the GDE service; successful guessing compromises the targeted account and its accessible encrypted-data functions.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.94%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Guardium Data Encryption 4.0.0.4 has an authentication weakness that lets remote attackers brute-force account credentials over the network. Its account lockout setting permits repeated credential attempts instead of enforcing an effective threshold, allowing password guessing against exposed login services. The attack is unauthenticated but requires network reachability to the GDE service; successful guessing compromises the targeted account and its accessible encrypted-data functions.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-20415
Published
Jul 7, 2021
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
Guardium Data Encryption
Classifications
CWE-307, T1110
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 7, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.0.0.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · Guardium Data Encryptionversion=4.0.0.4

Published CVSS scores

5.2IBM X-ForceCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
5.0NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
5.9IBMCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
7.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-307Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts
T1110Brute Force

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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