CVE-2021-21562

Privileged resource execution via user-controlled PATH

Published Aug 2, 2021 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Untrusted search path handling in PowerScale OneFS allows local users with specified administrative privileges to alter execution. A privileged operation accepts a user-controlled PATH and searches it for executable resources instead of restricting lookup to application-controlled directories. Exploitation requires SSH or console login privilege plus system-upgrade or audit privilege, and permits attacker-selected resources to run with the operation's authority, including on Compliance-mode clusters.

CVSS severity4.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Untrusted search path handling in PowerScale OneFS allows local users with specified administrative privileges to alter execution. A privileged operation accepts a user-controlled PATH and searches it for executable resources instead of restricting lookup to application-controlled directories. Exploitation requires SSH or console login privilege plus system-upgrade or audit privilege, and permits attacker-selected resources to run with the operation's authority, including on Compliance-mode clusters.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-21562
Published
Aug 2, 2021
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
Dell Technologies
Product
PowerScale OneFS
Classifications
CWE-426, T1574.007
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 2, 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=8.1.2, 8.1.3, 9.1.0.x, 9.0.0.x

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Dell Technologies · PowerScale OneFSversion=8.1.2, 8.1.3, 9.1.0.x, 9.0.0.x

Published CVSS scores

4.4DellCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-426Untrusted Search Path
T1574.007Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable

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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