CVE-2021-21591

Account compromise via plaintext password storage

Published Jul 12, 2021 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Plaintext password storage in Dell Unity, Unity XT, and UnityVSA before 5.1.0.0.5.394 allows local users to obtain user credentials. Dell has not disclosed the storage location, credential type, or operation that leaves the password exposed in plaintext. Exploitation requires high local privileges and grants access with the compromised user's privileges, exposing data and permitting actions available to that account.

CVSS severity6.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Plaintext password storage in Dell Unity, Unity XT, and UnityVSA before 5.1.0.0.5.394 allows local users to obtain user credentials. Dell has not disclosed the storage location, credential type, or operation that leaves the password exposed in plaintext. Exploitation requires high local privileges and grants access with the compromised user's privileges, exposing data and permitting actions available to that account.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-21591
Published
Jul 12, 2021
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
Dell Technologies
Product
Unity
Classifications
CWE-522, CWE-200, T1078, T1555
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 12, 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=unspecified <5.1.0.0.5.394

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Dell Technologies · Unityversion=unspecified <5.1.0.0.5.394

Published CVSS scores

6.7NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
6.4Dell TechnologiesCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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-522Insufficiently Protected Credentials
CWE-200Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
T1078Valid Accounts
T1555Credentials from Password Stores

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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